


Arty Advent Drabbles

by Samshine_and_Lollipops



Series: Art School [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Anxiety, Art Student Sam Winchester, Artist Sam Winchester, Bartender Gabriel (Supernatural), Childhood Trauma, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hash Brownies, Implied Sexual Content, Insecure Gabriel (Supernatural), Janitor Gabriel (Supernatural), Kissing, Language, Life model Gabriel, Lucifer is Called Luke (Supernatural), M/M, Making Out, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Recreational Drug Use, Ridiculous Gabriel (Supernatural), Timestamp, implied abusive family member, past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 12:54:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 20,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21731713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samshine_and_Lollipops/pseuds/Samshine_and_Lollipops
Summary: A whole bunch of fluffy timestamps from my Art School series. Can be read alone.Please note that the rating is an estimate. I will change it if it gets a little raunchier.
Relationships: Gabriel/Sam Winchester
Series: Art School [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1491455
Comments: 91
Kudos: 44





	1. Day 9: Cloudy

**Author's Note:**

> holydean and 6-wings are doing this wonderful Sabriel advent on [Tumblr here.](https://samshine-and-lollipops.tumblr.com/post/189558105936/oh-i-love-this-idea-i-was-thinking-of-making-a) As they have invited others to join in... well I couldn't help myself. It was going to go the arty route, but fic happened instead. I won't be following all of the prompts as I sadly don't have the time, but I'll be throwing in where I can.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This timestamp takes place the night before What Would Klimt Do begins. The early hours of the morning actually.

Gabriel glares up at the sky. He raises his right hand and clicks his fingers. Nada. Well it was worth a shot. 

Sam gives him an incredulous look. Gabriel is absolutely regretting telling Sam about his dream last night. The one where he actually was the Archangel Gabriel. Where he could make amazing things happen with just the click of his fingers. Amazing things… like stripping them bare and getting to the hanky panky that bit sooner. Of course Sam had made a face at that too. Like an Archangel would have better things to do with his time. Less kinky things. Pulease. If Gabriel actually had such powers, there’s no way he wouldn’t use them to his advantage.

Sam clears his throat, Gabriel looks over. He’s looking all sorts of adorable all snuggled up in his winter coat, scarf and beanie hat. Damn it but this should have been the height of romance. Snuggled up under their blanket, looking up at the heavens. Their first meteor shower. Making wishes. Then just making out. A lot. 

Gabriel glares up at the cloud covered sky again. He shivers.

Long arms wrap around him and he leans back into Sam’s embrace. 

“Let’s go inside. It’s cold.” Sam mutters into his hair, ruffling the messy strands and sending delicious shivers down his spine.

Gabriel makes a noise of complaint and burrows himself further against the wall of warm solid muscle behind him.

Sam laughs and Gabriel revels in that too, the soft cadence, the vibrations he can feel through the thin fabric of his cargo jacket. Damn it but it is too cold. But Gabriel will absolutely not admit it. He’s not shifting from this spot right here. No way Jose.

“We can try again tomorrow,” Sam says in a careful measured voice.

Gabriel really does make a noise of complaint at that one, disentangling himself from Sam’s long limbs to turn his glare from the infuriating obscuring blanket of fluff above them to the equally infuriating giant puppy dog in front of him. Sam is not gonna back out of this one. Gabriel will not be denied his Kate Winslet moment.

Sam makes a face at him. Gabriel raises his eyebrows. Sam rolls his eyes. 

“Ok fine. Maybe not tomorrow.” He lets out a long breath and looks down at Gabriel with those puppy dog eyes out in full force.

He is really not playing fair. Not playing fair at all. Gabriel reaches up on his tiptoes and grabs hold of the back of Sam’s neck, pulling him down forcefully, swallowing the little yelp of surprise with lips and tongue. Sam remains startled for a moment, eyes comically wide and then he’s very much getting with the program, long artist’s fingers threading back into his hair, lips pliant beneath his own. Gabriel steps backwards, pulling Sam with him. Sam resists for a moment, then he gets with that program too, letting himself be led towards the lounger behind them.

~~~

Gabriel pants into Sam’s neck. He smells good. So damn good. Gabriel’s tempted to lick right there. But he’s just too damned out of breath. Speaking of breath… Can’t actually breathe. Gabriel nudges an elbow into Sam’s ribs. He’s rewarded with a half formed bitchface and then an adorable widening of the eyes, those luscious lips forming into a little ‘o’ shape as he suddenly realises he’s kinda crushing the very life out of his partner with that giant hulking frame. Gabriel chuckles as Sam slides off him, settling in at his side. 

He takes a rather more satisfying breath into his lungs and glances up at the heavens. Oh!

He elbows Sam again. To loud complaints and the bitchiest face he’s ever seen. Gabriel makes a face back, huffs out a breath and grabs hold of Sam’s chin, forcefully angling his head around, pointing it up.

Sam makes an adorable little noise in the back of his throat, that absolutely doesn’t make Gabriel’s heart skip a beat. Then he’s settling back, curving into Gabriel’s side and looking up. As Gabriel tears his gaze away, as he turns his attention back to the sky above, a streak of illumination slips between the gap in the clouds. There so fleetingly it would have been easy to miss. 

Feeling warmth spreading out from the centre of his chest, the heat of Sam’s body pressed along one side… Gabriel makes a wish…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The meteor shower in question is the Leonids, though I am taking artistic license here to fit it in with my timeline. As in taking the peak days back one day and shock horror... the altitude way up from what it would be. Clearly staying up so late the night before WWKD would have made them shattered before they even began. So lets say this is happening at Midnight, but with an altitude that would have been present at say 5am. It's an AU... I can totally mess with celestial configurations. And uh brightness. They probably aren't doing it in dark enough skies. But hey... details


	2. Day 10: Eats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time stamp takes place between Let Me Paint You a Festive Picture and Thanks for All the Memories (which I shall be posting shortly). It can definitely be read alone.

“Have you seen the box of chocolates I got for Ellen?” Sam’s voice drifts through from the vicinity of his bedroom. 

Gabriel freezes. _Shit_. He hastily chews the chocolate covered caramel in his mouth, lamenting the lost opportunity to savor it’s delicious flavor, swallows and eyes the multitude of colorful wrappings scattered in his lap. _Hells_. What is he going to do with these?

“I could have sworn I left it the cupboard. It’s not here either.”

Eyes furtively darting towards the hallway, Gabriel gathers the wrappings and… Ok those won’t all fit in his pocket. What to do? Shit, is that approaching footsteps?

“Have you tried under the bed?” he calls out, hastily shoving the wrappings down the front of his shirt. 

Not the best solution, granted, but given the circumstances…

“Why would it be under the bed?” Sam’s exhasperated voice sounds from just around the corner.

“Uh no clue Samsquatch. Just… thought I might have seen… something… Maybe…” 

Gabriel’s eyes widen as he takes in the box in front of him. What the hells is he going to do with that? His eyes dart to the hallway again, but Sam has yet to appear around the corner. There’s a loud sigh, then receeding footsteps.

It won’t take Sam long though. Gabriel doesn’t have time to think or find a better solution. He lifts the hem of his shirt up, carefully nudging stray wrappers back underneath and slips the box under the material. Ah crap. That is not obvious. Not obvious at all. At the sound of approaching footsteps, Gabriel makes a grab for a cushion and places it infront of his belly. Wait? Why didn’t he just shove this crap under the cushion to begin with? No time to fix it. Sam’s freakishly tall n sexy frame appears around the corner, brows furrowed. Eyes looking all sorts of worried and puppish. Now Gabriel feels like crap. Damn it.

Mournful puppy dog eyes land on him. Gabriel tries his best to look innocent. Sam makes a face at him. _Uh oh_. Clearly not looking innocent enough. Distraction? He tries for a heated look. Good bit of eye fucking. Seems to work for Dean-o and Cassie.

There’s that exasperated look again, but... is that a lip twitch? Definitely a lip twitch. Sam purses his lips, then he’s striding over, looking all sorts of purposeful. Is Gabriel going to be devoured or... spanked? He’s not exactly a masochist but... He draws a deep breath in through his nostrils as Sam rapidly closes the distance. 

He’s lightening quick. Gabriel doesn’t stand a chance. Before he can tighten his grip on the cushion, Sam’s whipped it out of his arms. 

Gabriel winces. Sam stares down at the hard edges pressing at the fabric of his shirt. He would suck in a breath, make it a little less obvious, but clearly the damage is already done. He cringes. Purses his lips. Oh wait... puppy dog eyes. He can definitely do those too. 

Ah looks like the answer to his earlier question is... neither. No devouring. No other... enticing things. Because Sam’s too busy practically wetting himself. Gabriel just waits it out. He looks all sorts of ridiculous, lots of super attractive donkey noises. It wasn’t _that_ funny. Yeesh. Control yourself Kiddo. Finally, finally, Sam hiccups up one more laugh, wipes his eyes and gives Gabriel a look.

“Gabe... Why did you...?”

Gabriel quirks one side of his lips upwards and shrugs a shoulder. “I thought it was Dean-o’s”

Sam gives him a mildly exasperated look. “So you... So you decided to... eat it?”

Gabriel just purses his lips and shrugs both shoulders this time.

Sam starts shaking with laughter again. This time Gabriel rolls his eyes. 

“How did you know?” Gabriel asks at length, once Sam sounds more human and less equine.

Instead of answering, Sam crouches down, leans forward and... _Holy cats_... licks along Gabriel’s lower lip, before darting his tongue inside Gabriel’s mouth. Hells yeah. Gabriel leans into the kiss, but Sam is already withdrawing, standing up and taking a step backwards. 

“Chocolate... On your face,” Sam smiles and shakes his head, then he’s turning and...

_Hells no_. Sam cannot lay that tongue on him and just walk away. Gabriel springs to his feet, ignoring the thump as the chocolate box slips from under his shirt and drops to the floor, upending the meagre remains, reaches up and grabs a fist full of flannel. Their lips crash together as rainbow wrappers scatter at their feet like confetti. Sam resists for a fraction of a second, eyes fixed on the glittering array, lips twitching furiously against Gabriel’s, but then he’s opening up, melting into the kiss. Chasing the sweet heavenly taste on Gabriel’s tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ellen gets a bottle of Bourbon as a thank you. She actually prefers that. So in a way Gabriel totally did her a favor X-D


	3. Day 11: Icy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This timestamp takes place right after Let Me Paint You a Picture. The day after they arrive home from the cabin. It can be read as a standalone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more risque maybe. Definite innuendo.

Sam rubs a hand over his face. Looks again. Nope still there. Ice cubes. That’s all he was after. Now... well now he can’t get the image out of his head.

Something brushes against his back and he practically jumps a mile in the air. _Shit_.

There’s soft chuckle, then arms are wrapping around his middle, a kiss pressed to his upper back.

“Mmm there you are Samsquatch, thought you’d found the way to Narnia.” 

A head of messy hair pops around him and peers into the frozen compartment. “Wait... Did you find the way to Narnia? Have a cup of tea with a weirdly attractive Faun? You didn’t accept any candy from a kinda freaky, but also oddly alluring stranger did ya?” Gabriel chuckles, then his eyes light up as he takes in the meagre contents of his freezer. “Ooh forgot about those!”

“Uh... Do I want to know?” Sam asks hesitantly.

“Vodka pops of course!” Gabriel says with a bright smile. His brow furrows. “Wait, what did you think they were?” 

Despite the chill, Sam feels his cheeks start to heat up. 

Gabriel just looks at him for a moment, then he whistles long and low. “Wow Sammy. Gotta tell ya, I was not expecting that little gem. Anyone who says I’m the kinky one..." 

There’s really only one way to stop this... 

"...clearly hasn’t seen you..."

Sam hurriedly grabs hold of the curls at the back of Gabriel’s neck, bends down and... 

"...with a-”

...captures those mobile lips in a deep and messy kiss, swallowing Gabriel’s words with lips and tongue.

Gabriel protests for a moment... loudly despite the muffling influence of Sam’s mouth... but then he’s groaning and rising up onto his tiptoes, deepening the kiss.

When they part long moments later, Gabriel looks a little like he’s going to start up again. So Sam just says the one thing he knows will stop Gabriel in his tracks.

“Bedroom.”

Yeah that’s done it. The look Gabriel is giving him is decidedly heated. Sam starts to close the freezer compartment, but Gabriel stops him with a hand to his forearm. Gaze fixed on Sam, he reaches in, grabs hold of one of the pops and deftly removes it from the surrounding silicone mold. As Sam watches with wide eyes, he dips his head, draws his lips over the popsicle and looks up at Sam through his eyelashes. When he then hollows his cheeks, Sam forgets how to breathe.

“Bedroom.” He chokes out... voice sounding disturbingly high pitched. 

Gabriel doesn’t answer, he just elbows the freezer shut, draws the pop out of his mouth and licks around the bulbous tip, all the while edging in the direction of his bedroom. Sam swallows around the sudden lump in his throat. Then he just follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think you can guess what shape Gabriel's silcone popsicle molds are. The rest, I'll leave to your imagination...


	4. Day 12: Frozen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Gabriel prepare for a New Year's bash at the local bar, the Roadhouse... Silliness ensues.
> 
> This time stamp takes place right before the events of the upcoming Thanks for All the Momories fic. It can definitely be read alone.

“Ready to go?” Sam’s sexy voice filters through from the other room.

Gabriel’s eyes dart about the carnage of his room, items pulled out and strewn haphazardly from the dresser, under the bed, the fitted closet. The less said about his bed the better.

“Uh... just a... gimme a minute,” Gabriel calls out.

There are a few muttered words of reply... or rather complaint, but Gabriel’s going to choose to ignore the sass for now. Can’t leave without the accessories.

He sighs and stares at the jumble of items lying in the bottom of his closet. Can’t possibly carry all those at once. He grabs the item on top and and shoves it on his head before bundling up the rest, hooking his chin over the top to halt the imminent cascade, and shuffling towards his bed, where he dumps his load on the growing pile. An assortment of accessories slide hither and thither, half of them ending up on the floor.

Gabriel rolls his eyes and bends down to gather the escapees.

“Uh... What happened here?” Sam’s incredulous voice sounds from over by the doorway. “I didn’t think there were any tornadoes foreca-” He breaks off his sass as Gabriel straightens, shifting wholesale into one of his patented ridiculous donkey laughs.

Gabriel throws him a mildly irritated glance. This would go a whole lot faster without Mr Sexy-Sassy-Pants interrupting his flow.

“Sorry Gabe,” Sam snorts out, somewhat ineligently, “We haven’t got time to...” Another snort. Super sexy there Samshine. “...build a snowman.”

What? What the hells is Sam talking about? Has he been at the Vodka pops? Gabriel knows he’s been eyeing them up again. Looking all sorts of thirsty. 

Gabriel arches an eyebrow. Sam giggles. Oh for the love of... Gabriel follows his gaze to his own shoulder... or rather the icy blonde plait resting there. He sighs heavily. Tuts under his breath and drops the accessories on the bed. What is he missing? Of course! Damn it, he almost forgot the deeley boppers he made especially for the occassion. Can’t leave those behind. 

He shrugs past Sam’s giant frame in the doorway, trying to ignore the oh so tempting muscles that brush against his arm as he passes, and bustles into the room beyond. Now where the hells did he put it?

“You know, I haven’t been to a New Year’s party in...” Sam trails along behind him, like a huge puppy dog, getting under it’s owner’s feet. “...well I guess you could say...” Snort. Giggle. Oh for crying out loud. “... This is the first time in forever.”

Ah ha there it is. On the counter. Gabriel whips it up and swings around, plait flying through the air. Sam takes one look at him and doubles over in laughter. Despite it all. Despite the very important task he’s trying to achieve right here, Gabriel can’t help but chuckle. Can’t help the smirk that spreads across his face as Sam finally straightens up, eyes alight with good humor.

“Let it go, Sven.” He huffs out.“Let it go.”

Sam looks mildly insulted for a moment and then his lip’s twitching upwards. And there it is. Gabriel watches in amusement as his giant gorgeous moose of a boyfriend decends into another glorious fit of uncontrollable laughter. After a beat, Gabriel joins him.


	5. Day 13: Fireplace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time stamp takes place on the last day of their stay at the cabin in Let Me Paint You a Picture (spoiler free for the end of the fic). Can be read as a standalone. All you need to know is that there was some angst and Sam and Gabriel are staying at a cabin for Christmas along with Dean and Cas (also in a relationship) and Luke (Lucifer).

They’ll have to move soon. Dean and Cas are due back... when exactly Sam’s not sure. The arm his wristwatch is attached to is currently trapped beneath a solid, naked, weight. And he finds himself reluctant to move. Luke... who knows when he’ll return. He’s been gone most of the day.

If they’re still here when their brothers return... Yeah they should move.

But not... not just yet. 

Sam traces his free hand over soft skin, drawing meaningless patterns over warm supple flesh. The head of messy hair on top of him burrows further into his chest, a contented sigh muffled by his own skin. He listens to the pop and crackle of the fire, revels in it’s warmth, in the heat radiating from the body pressed along his side... and half on top of him.

He dips his head a fraction, burrowing his nose in the soft tangled strands. He breathes deep, taking in that familiar scent... Strawberries and Cream. His shampoo. And beneath it, the scent that is simply him. Simply Gabriel. A warmth spreads out from his chest and it has nothing to do with the fire beside them. Well maybe a little...

They should definitely move... But not yet.

It’s just. Being here with Gabriel. They’ve been through a lot. But none of it matters, or rather... It’s drawn them closer together and Sam’s... Sam’s reluctant to part. They leave tomorrow. He feels his heart clench at the thought. Because being here with Gabriel... waking up every morning to bright honey gold eyes, to a wide dimpled smile, to a warm body pressed against him... or frequently on top of him. He’s not ready to give that up just yet.

He feels movement against his skin. Gabriel’s eyebrows, Sam realises. It makes him smile. A beat later, he’s shifting. Sam resists the urge to wrap his arm tightly about Gabriel’s middle. To keep him in place. But Gabriel’s not pulling away. Instead he merely lifts his head and props his chin on Sam’s chest. It’s kind of digging into Sam’s skin, but he finds he doesn’t mind. Not one bit. Gabriel regards him with some amusement, lips quirking upwards. He chuckles softly and lifts his head far enough to prop an arm beneath his cheek. 

“You’re thinkin too hard,” he drawls in a voice that’s a little raspy, a little worn out.

Sam bites his lips as he thinks of why that is. It’s not the first time they’ve made love today. Not even the second. And Gabriel... well he tends to get a little vocal.

For a moment Gabriel’s gaze turns heated, like he can follow Sam’s train of thought, but then he just smiles to himself, leans forward and presses a soft, almost chaste kiss to Sam’s lips. He’s clearly come to the same conclusion Sam did. They simply don’t have the time...

They should really move... but not yet.

Gabriel draws back and Sam’s breath catches in his throat. The firelight is dancing in Gabriel’s eyes, the rich gold of his irises illuminated. It’s candlelight through whiskey, late afternoon sunshine through autumn leaves. So beautiful. He’s so beautiful.

The humor fades from his eyes, to be replaced with something deeper. Something that makes Sam’s heart ache. Not in pain. Not this time. Well maybe a little...

Gabriel’s lips part. For long moments he says nothing. Just hovers above Sam. Sam watches the light play across his features. His hair is all fluffed up at the front, all tangled at the back. With the scribbled mark on his cheek, the scruff on his jawline... He’s maybe looking a little rough around the edges. And yet... Sam finds that maybe he likes him like this the best of all... Well maybe not the facial grafitti, courtesy of his brother... But... No masks. No performance. Just Gabriel. 

Of course he enjoys that other side too. The smirks. The exuberant hand gestures. The way Gabriel tries his very best to piss people off. Maybe Sam shouldn’t... but he likes that side of him too. A lot. There’s a carefree wildness there that lights a fire in the pit of Sam’s belly. But there’s a wildness here too. A strength. But also a vulnerability. A determination. But maybe a little fear.

“I love you.” 

At first Sam’s not sure which of them said it. Forefront in his mind, he wondered for moment if his lips had moved under their own volition. But no. Those beautiful rich tones. That soft rasp. Gabriel.

Sam reaches out a hand and brushes a stray lock from Gabriel’s forehead, captures that bright golden gaze with his own.   
“I love you too Gabe.”

His voice is barely a whisper, almost lost in the crackle of the fire, but Gabriel hears him anyway, lips pulling into a small smile, that’s at first almost shy, then... then kind of smug. Sam laughs lightly and cranes foreward to press a soft kiss to Gabriel’s brow.

They both settle back. Sam resumes his motions. Fingertips playing across soft, warm skin. Gabriel burrows into his chest. He doesn’t want to leave.

The others will be back soon. They should definitely think about moving. But not yet.

Just a minute more.


	6. Day 14: Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Hallowe'en night and Sam and Gabriel have just shared their first kiss and... other things.
> 
> For Hallowe'en Gabriel has dressed as, yup you've guessed it, an Angel. Skimpy toga and giant wings all the way. Oh and... no underwear... 
> 
> This time stamp takes place towards the end of the Art of Healing. This one's a bit more involved with the plot, but you might still enjoy it as a standalone. See the notes for a little background that might be useful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this verse, due to past trauma in Sam's life, they took rather a long time to get together. Despite his feelings for Gabriel, Sam at first rejected him. Kind of a big blow for Gabriel who had already fallen in love. By Hallowe'en things had changed. Unfortunately due to nerves, Sam gets himself a leetle bit drunk, submitting to Dean's steady supply of Purple Nurples. Realising just how inebriated Sam is Gabriel halts proceedings before they go too far. As such, when they part, he's really rather... worked up. You can probably fill in the blanks there.
> 
> In addition to being a life model, Gabriel is a Janitor and works at the Roadhouse with Jo Harvelle. Ellen is Sam's life drawing tutor.

Gabriel slides to the floor. Shit. Agh. Damn giant wings. The elastic’s pulling painfully at his armpits and damn it but... the cardboard’s bending, feathers everywhere. Other... stuff... everywhere. Why didn’t he think to take them off? Crap. He staggers to his feet. He leans forward this time, resting his forehead against the cool stall wall. Ugh is that some right there on the wall? He shifts his head to the side so his cheek is now pressed to the thin partition, stares at the sticky white mess. Yep. That definitely is. 

He closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath. It kinda stinks in here. Cleaning fluid. Definitely that. And now. Well now it smells like... well kinda like sex. Gabriel chuckles. This should be a low point. Maybe it is. But hells it’s not. He’ll curse his stupid conscience till the cows come home... That’s an absurd saying... Come home where? He chuckles again. Right. And yes it was right. He knows that. Sam was drunk as a skunk.... This time he actually snorts. Gotta love those drunk skunks. 

Any old how. The point is... What was his point again? He kinda feels drunk himself. But it’s not alcohol. No siree. He hasn’t touched a drop. No skunky business for him. That doesn’t even make any sense... But... but... he’s drunk on Sam. That’s his point. Or rather. Hells. Seratonin maybe. Love. 

He draws in a sharp breath. Shivers. Ok can’t get ahead of himself. Or rather of Sam. Sam clearly... well he clearly made his intentions clear tonight. He wants... Gabriel’s pulse starts to pick up again. Sam actually wants him. Gabriel hoped, sure. But after the last time, well he tried not to get himself too worked up. Too hopeful. But Sam actually goddamn wants him. It’s not love. He’s not going to fool himself into thinking that for a second. Sam surely couldn’t feel the same way. But still. God.

It still. It doesn’t feel real. But those... those were really Sam’s hands on him. Great big giant hands. Long artist’s fingers. In his hair. Fondling... actually _fondling_ his nipple. Then... then reaching under his skimpy toga... touching his bare flesh... wrapping around... Hmm yeah. He bites his lower lip. Shivers again. And the lips. That kiss. Their first. The first of many? God Gabriel hopes so.

He feels that thrill, not a good one, the little thread of uncertainty, trying to worm it’s way into his blissful happiness. Sam was drunk. Really drunk. What if he forgets? What if he wakes up tomorrow and... damn it but the doubts are returning. Kinda chased them away when he was taking care of business, when he was dealing with a little ongoing arousal issue. But now... now they’re coming back. 

No. No he’s not going to think like that. Tomorrow he’ll know one way or another. He did the right thing. Maybe if he hadn’t then... well then they might have a problem. Tomorrow he’ll find out if Sam really, actually wants to be with him. Find out if it was just beer... or rather _purple nurple_ goggles. If it was just his mighty fine ass in this toga. If it was that, then Gabriel’s happy to offer him round 2. But he hopes... he hopes it’s more.

Sighing, he pushes off the wall and opens his eyes. Crap. How is he gonna clean all this up? Come and feathers everywhere. Apparently he kinda got himself a tad... just a teensy bit... worked up. Right. He scrubs a hand over his face. _Uh_. That was definitely not a good idea. 

_Raspberries._

~~~

Jo’s eyes widen. She opens her mouth. Damn is he gonna get a chewing out? He supposes that was rather a long break. But extenuating circumstances and all that jazz. She closes her mouth. Opens it again. _Uh_... Her eyes flick up to his hair. Yikes. Ok maybe all her hard work might have gotten a little... disheveled. Ok maybe a lot disheveled. Then there’s the wet clumps at the front. So maybe he got a little over enthusiastic with the face washing. It was some damn sticky stuff after all. 

Closed again. Her eyes are on his bent and balding wings. Her face screws up in a manner that would be hilarious... actually it is hilarious. He finds himself chuckling. What _is_ that face though? He knows it kinda looks like he’s had a good hard fucking up against the wall but... His eyes follow her gaze. 

Oh. _Ah_. Missed a spot. He cranes his neck, tilts his head to the side. Did that happen during? Or did he just accidentally drop the wings in it. Judging by the splattered pattern, he’s gonna go with during. Wow, he knew he was worked up but how did he manage-

“_Christ_ Gabe just... just go home.”

He turns his attention back to her disturbed face. He purses his lips and raises his eyebrows at her.

She shakes her head and pinches her sinuses in a manner that’s disturbingly like her mother.

“Please.” She huffs out after a moment, before stalking off to the other side of the bar. 

But before she steps up to serve the next customer, she looks back over at him and gives him a small warm smile. Gabriel finds himself smiling back. Then grinning. Then laughing. 

Hells, what a night. What a Hallowe’en! This Angel costume may just have been the best idea he’s ever had. Scratch that. There’s no maybe about it. Still chuckling to himself, he grabs his cargo jacket and heads on out into the chill Autumn night.

_Fuck_. Fuck it’s goddamn freezing. Not the best idea. Jesus. _Fuck_.


	7. Day 15: Flurries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time stamp takes place after Let Me Paint You a Picture. Can definitely be read alone.
> 
> On their journey home from the cabin, they decide to stop off and meet up at a Mall in Topeka. Sam and Gabriel are just enjoying each other's company when Gabriel spots something of interest across the mall.

“It’s for kids Gabe,” Sam says, laughing and shaking his head.

“Pulease. Who the hells says that? Huh?”

Sam raises his eyebrows. “Uh, the sign?” 

Sam can’t help laughing again at the face Gabriel makes at that. He rolls his eyes dramatically, purses his lips.

“Since when did they put an age limit on fun?”

Sam starts to shrug his shoulders when, without any warning at all, Gabriel grabs hold of his bicep and starts dragging him over. He narrowly avoids tripping over his own feet as he’s lead unceremoniously towards the attraction. It’s Sam’s turn to make a face now. But... well, they’ve been dating for almost two months now, he knows when it’s pointless to argue...

~~~

Sam smiles awkwardly at the photographer. The photographer just laughs and goes back to cleaning his lens. 

After the initial confusion at their lack of offspring, he seemed surprisingly chill about the situation, about a grown man asking... Ok more like, _demanding_, to be let into their Winter Wonderland/giant walk-in snowglobe. Christmas was a couple of days ago. Apparently hokey festive displays are far less in demand now. Which also apparently means, that they have free reign to indulge. Or well... Gabriel does. He tried to drag Sam in. Of course he did. But the last thing Sam wants, is to be picking damn fake snow out of his hair for a week. Gabriel... of course Gabriel doesn’t seem to care about such things.

Sam looks over at him, watches as he turns round and round, arms spread out, flurries of faux snow swirling about his person. He tilts his face upwards, a wide dimpled smile spreading across his features. Sam’s heart skips a beat, warmth spreading from the center of his chest. 

He’s always beautiful, Sam can’t help thinking that a thousand times a day. But when he does something like this... Something so unselfconscious... There’s something about that part of him that makes Sam’s stomach do a little flip flop, that makes him fall in love all over again. It’s cheesy as hell... this whole scene is cheesy as hell, but... He’s so damn beautiful that Sam feels a deep ache in his chest. He draws in a sharp breath. 

Sam’s aware of the photographer’s eyes on him, but he can’t seem to bring himself to care. He just can’t look away... Those honey gold eyes, sparkling with glee. The little creases that appear at the corners when he smiles. The carefree quirk of his thin lips. When he turns to face Sam... The way his smile gets broader... Sam can’t hear it, but he can see Gabriel’s chuckle, can somehow hear the beautiful cadence of it anyway. So damn... Sam snorts out a laugh. Ok maybe that’s not so beautiful...

Gabriel’s stepped up to edge of the bubble. He’s smooshing his face into it, pointy nose poking at the material and getting squashed to the side, mouth open in a huge grin, palms of his hands either side of his ridiculous face. He doesn’t have to hear to know what Gabriel’s saying. _Come on Samsquatch_. Oh and... _uh_ that’s not exactly appropriate. Sam flushes, hopes to hell that the photographer isn’t watching too closely. Christ that’s _really_ not appropriate. Sam looks pointedly at Gabriel’s amused face. Gabriel just looks completely unrepentant. 

There’s the sound of a clearing throat behind him. Sam winces. He throws Gabriel one more warning look, that’s merely met with an eyebrow wiggle, and turns to face the photographer.

“Hey man, don’t mean to get in anyone’s business but...”

Sam’s heart sinks. He knows where this is going. Haven’t they dealt with enough of this crap lately? He feels his jaw clench, hands curling into fists by his side.

But the man merely looks amused... not angry, not hateful. He quirks an eyebrow before continuing. 

“If my boyfriend was that cute... Hell, I’d be getting in there... Just saying.” The man shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head. He looks over at Gabriel and... Wow did he just bite his lip?

Sam feels a whole other sort of emotion try to take up residence in his chest. Not anger, but something close to it. He pushes it down. Christ, that’s really not helpful. Gabriel, kind of brings out his possessive side sometimes. It’s not something he’s especially proud of. Gabriel’s gorgeous, funny, charming... of course there are people who notice that... want that. But despite his flirtatious manner, Gabriel has never shown any true interest in anyone else since they started dating... since before that if Sam really thinks about it. He’s not going to count ‘Grabby Hands Mc-' he forgets exactly what Gabriel calls her... but she was a drunken aberration. Since... practically since they met, it’s seemed that Gabriel only has eyes for him. And if that isn’t some heady feeling, he doesn’t know what is.

The photographer’s eyeing him curiously, maybe a little knowingly. Christ, what the hell. He nods his head.

~~~

He has to actually bend down. Why is he doing this again? He hears the sound of the fan whirring away, somewhere behind the mildly disturbing grinning Santa and the Rudolf that looks more like a moose than a reindeer. Frankly he’s surprised Gabriel hasn’t commented on it yet.

The ‘snow’ starts to whirl around their legs. He feels all sorts of ridiculous. His eyes dart outside the bubble. Christ, there’s... _Oh God_, a small crowd seems to have gathered to watch them. Well he does suppose they must look all sorts of ludicrous. Two grown men in a giant festive snow globe. They’re way too old for this. _He’s_ way too tall. He’s starting to get a crick in his neck damn it. 

There’s a rather insistent huffing noise from below him. Sam looks down. Gabriel’s hat, shoulders... _eyelashes_ are dusted with little pieces of plastic... _Snow_ he tries to tell himself. But really he can’t... This isn’t so much romantic as incredibly awkward, uncomfortable, ridiculous and-

It’s a cliche all right, but it’s a good one. It all happens in slow motion. One minute Sam is smiling awkwardly down at Gabriel... His breath catches as Gabriel gives him that look. The one that promises kisses that leave him breathless, the one that makes his heart start to race... Then he’s grabbing hold of the lapels of Sam’s winter jacket, dragging him down into a kiss that can only be termed as ‘searing’. All well and good... Well except the multitude of flashes that go off in that instant, the concentration of light so intense Sam’s practically blinded. Which is probably half the reason he’s completely ‘blindsided’ by what happens next.

Gabriel’s seen far too many movies. Because, apparently, this time, he wants something more... _dramatic_. As if the flurry of plastic particles about them wasn’t drama enough. No. Still on his tiptoes, he bends backwards, like some damsel in an old time classic, roughly pulling Sam further over his body. Only Sam doesn’t have time to place a steadying hand in the small of his back. Sam’s half blind and already thrown off balance by the unexpected Hallmark moment. 

He flails. 

Sam’s always felt a little awkward and clumsy, ever since he sprouted several inches practically overnight and shot up past his brother and pretty much everyone else he knew. The world isn’t really built for someone as tall as he is. This snow globe, _really_ isn’t built for people as tall as he is. It’s built for children. As per the goddamn sign. 

_Shit._

He tries to make a grab for Gabriel with one hand, the other flung out, desperately trying to grab a hold of something, anything, to steady himself. 

He doesn’t succeed on either count. His hand closes around fabric. There’s an ominous ripping sound. Gabriel slips through his fingers and goes down, taking a maniacal Santa with him. 

Sam’s flailing arm catches onto something. For a moment he thinks it’ll halt his fall. That he won’t come crashing down on top of Gabriel. But it isn’t to be. This whole crazy, messed up disaster isn’t over yet. His forward momentum is too great. He doesn’t have a chance to anchor himself before he feels it tipping. _Fuck._

On instinct he tries to control his landing. Sam may feel clumsy and awkward, but his dad taught him a thing or two. Made sure he wasn’t helpless. He can can fight. He knows how to dodge an attack, how to land without injury, given enough space and vigilance. A slight shift of the body here. A slight tuck there. But really... there isn’t enough space. This _really_ isn’t the right place to tuck and roll....

~~~

The sound is horrendous. Like being inside a deflating balloon. Well quite literally, that’s where they’re at. The fan’s still on, so small mercies, it isn’t collapsing completely on them... but the noise... Christ. He supposes he should be glad that the damn thing’s strong. That the base is weighted down enough. That he didn’t tear a huge hole in it or send the entire thing rolling across the mall with them both inside it. 

But this is hardly a situation to be thankful for. His back is killing him. His ears are killing him. He can’t roll to one side, because Gabriel landed far too close to the wall. Rolling that way would cause him to rebound onto Gabriel or just make the damn sound worse. The other way... He cranes his neck... He’d land right on top of Santa and Rudolf, who already appear to be caught up in some sort of highly inappropriate and disturbing lover’s tryst... _Jesus_.

That only leaves one option. And Christ, but that’s hardly appropriate either... He cranes his neck to the other side. Yeah their audience hasn’t exactly dispersed. If anything, more people have gathered. Fuck. He really has no choice. He tries to see Gabriel, but in this position he really can’t. He can however hear him. Despite the loud screeching noise assaulting his ear drums, he can definitely hear Gabriel’s gleeful, joyous, no-holds barred laughter.

As Sam’s hips descend towards his face, his laughter only gets louder... more joyful... more gleeful... _Jesus Gabe_. Not helping. Not helping at all. But then Gabriel’s hands come up to bracket his hips, guiding him down. Sam forgets how to breathe.

~~~

Gabriel skips. He goddamn _skips_ over to the Impala, torn shirt and open coat flapping in the breeze. Right over to where Dean is leaning against the car with Cas. Luke must be in Cas’ car, small mercies. It takes them a long time to break eye contact and look over, but when they do... There’s confusion at first... definite irritation at their ‘eye fucking’ session being interrupted... but Sam sees the moment Dean processes exactly what he’s seeing, the moment he really takes in the contents of the image Gabriel is brandishing with... glee. (That expression hasn’t left his face for a moment since this whole messed up tableau began). There’s definitely a moment of disbelief. Then his features twist into a, _son of a bitch, I didn’t need to see that shit_ expression, but then...

Well... Dean pretty much loses his shit. He’s doubled over, laughing harder than Sam’s seen him laugh in a long time. Face all screwed up, tears in his eyes. Damn it, it’s not that funny. There’s a weird sort of wheezing sound. Sam looks up to see... Christ, now Cas is losing it. Gabriel makes a little huffing noise, Sam's eyes flick over to his. He raises an eyebrow, lips forming into a small pout, that absolutely doesn’t make him look adorable. 

“Come on Samshine, it was a little bit funny.”

Sam purses his lips, shakes his head, but then he takes in the image that's now tilted towards him... His startled deer in headlights look, faux snow coated hair sticking up in every direction, his spread knees bracketing Gabriel’s face... Sam's crotch hovering right above it... You can’t see all of Gabriel’s expression, Sam’s limbs are in the way, but what can be seen of it, looks part way shocked, part way... _hungry_. And then there’s his hands, clearly making their way round to Sam’s ass... A flurry of fake snow whirling about their entwined bodies... Christ it’s...

“It wasn’t a ‘little bit funny’ Gabe,” Sam says after a beat.

Gabriel’s face falls. Sam takes a step closer, he reaches out and takes hold of Gabriel’s face, tilting it upwards. Then he lets it show. Let’s the corner’s of his lips twitch upwards. Let’s the bubble of good humor that’s been brewing in the pit of his belly, float up to the surface. He laughs. It’s loud. It’s kind of embarrassing. Gabriel even startles at the sound of it, but then he’s grinning up at Sam. Smile brilliant, dimpled and oh so beautiful.

“It wasn’t a little bit funny Gabe... It was... It was Goddamn hilarious.”

If anything, Gabriel’s smile gets that little bit brighter. Chest feeling like it’s going to burst, Sam leans down and presses a kiss, right there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh for... my tablet just decided to highlight my random rambling nonsense and I accidentally deleted it. What I was trying to say was that I'm kinda guessing with the snow globe noise. Maybe I'm taking a little artistic liscence here. But just go with it. Most of those that inflate from inside seem to have a hidden exit/entrance at the back. I'm assuming Sam's considerable weight thrown against one side would cause the bubble to deform enough to partially open this entrance and send a bunch of air (and probably snow) whooshing out of the back. I was just going to go with them falling over, but somehow, this vastly more ridiculous scene came to mind. An insight into my weird, warped sense of humor, hooray! Anyhow the idea amused me so I just went with it.


	8. Day 16: Lights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam ponders Gabriel's eyes.
> 
> This timestamp takes place at some point during Let Me Paint You a Picture. Can definitely be read as a standalone.

It’s how this all began, in a way. Sam’s sure something else would have caught his attention eventually. Indeed in some ways it had. It wasn’t the first thing that Sam noticed after all... That would have been rather less poetic. But it was the first thing that really took his breath away. Just a little trick of the light. Just a slight tilt of the head. And there it was. He was utterly lost. Didn’t stand a chance. For in that instant, Sam had never seen anything more beautiful. 

He tried to deny it of course, tried to ignore what he thought he could never have. But time and time again, his mind would drift back to it. That moment. _Firelight through whiskey. Molten honey in the late afternoon sunlight_. The most stunning, beautiful shade of gold he had ever seen. Those eyes were the first thing he saw when he woke from a peaceful slumber. The last thing he thought about as he drifted off to sleep. They still are.

If it wasn’t for that trick of the light, if it wasn’t for that chance tilt of his head, would Sam have noticed? Would he have been so mesmorised? Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a jolt, such a shock to the system... 

But yes. Because those eyes... they don’t need a light to shine apon them to be beautiful. To take his breath away. Because sometimes, often times... always... that light comes from within. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is frankly the sappiest thing I've ever written. I don't know whether to apologise or congratulate myself X-D. Hope you liked it anyway.


	9. Day 17: Trees

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This timestamp takes place during What Would Klimt Do when Gabriel is spending Thanksgiving with his extended family in San Fransisco. While it certainly references the plot a fair bit, all you really need to know to enjoy it as a standalone is that Balthazar and Gabriel are in the midst of a prank war, Gabriel's last prank involved that 'godawful song' and Gadreel and Hannah are of Gabriel's side.

Gabriel looks up... and up... and up... _Shit_. He flails. Damn it, almost fell backwards there. Thank God for Cassie. Cas gives him a look. Yeesh, he’s fine. Just a little tumble... from a moving vehicle... no biggie. He sighs as he spots Cas making a beeline for Balthazar. There will be words, he’s no doubt about that. Honestly, after the spectacular success of his Titanic payback prank - he chuckles to himself at the play on words - he’s surprised the fall out wasn’t worse. Balthy’s giving him a look now. Yep of course there will be more to come. No doubt about it. No matter. He can absolutely take the best that Balthy can throw at him. They didn’t dub him ‘the Trickster’ at high school for nothing.

He smirks as his mind replays a few classics. Should Balthy retaliate, he’s got plenty of material. 

His smile slowly fades as he looks up again. Prank wars are all very well and good, they’re a fun and often hilarious distraction, but... he misses Sam. And all these obscenely giant trees are just reminding him.

“Amazing aren’t they?” Gadreel sidles up to him, a look of wonder on his face as he looks up at the canopy far above them. “Did you know that Sequoia Sempervirens can grow to nearly 380 feet?”

Gabriel did not know that, but he really... he actually... in this moment, does not care in the least. He fights the urge to roll his eyes as Gadreel continues.

“Of course the tallest tree here is only around 260 feet. Can you picture it though?” 

Gabriel would really rather picture Sam wearing nothing but a skimpy towel around his waist. Dripping wet from the shower. Hmm yeah, he is never getting that image out of his head. He draws in a breath through his nostrils at the thought.

Gadreel smiles at him and nods his head. “Exactly! Incredible isn’t it? And to think that all that comes from a seed that is no bigger than that of a tomato! Absolutely mindblowing.”

Ok all Gabriel got of that was _blowing_. Now he’s got that visual in his head. Holy hot cakes. Of course it wasn’t so pleasant when Gabriel accidentally bucked upwards and Sam almost threw up in his lap, but... well he’s not gonna think about that part. Just going to think about those pretty lips, stretched around the head of his...

Ok Gadreel’s giving him an odd look now. Gabriel tries to feign an interest in botany. He purses his lips, nods his head sagely. Frankly, he thinks botany’s the least interesting branch of science imaginable. Only Matt Damon in a spacesuit could make it cute and sexy.

Gadreel seems to be satisfied at least. Gabriel’s glad, it wouldn’t exactly do to bite the hand that helped him get his plucky Canadian starlet based revenge on. Gabriel’s not going to let that ship sink before it sails. Tomorrow’s another day. Another chance for Balthy to retaliate and Gabriel needs to prepare, he needs to keep his minions close at hand... Gabriel frowns, those damn kid’s flicks have completely ruined that word. Consorts? Yikes no, that sounds way too dirty. Companions? The image he gets of Captain Jack Harkness looking all hot in his swooshy coat morphs into one of Inara... Also hot, but... Ok these are his cousins. Nothing hot. Sidekicks? Ok that could actually work. They’re Batman, Robin and Batgirl. He snorts out a laugh at the sudden image of Gadreel wearing underpants over his tights.

Gadreel gives him a look, as if he’s concerned Gabriel hit his head on a rock while tumbling out of a moving car. The moving car bit he did, but he knows how to duck n roll. He’s fine! Never better.

“I was...” Gabriel thinks furiously. Right of course. Perfect. “I was just thinkin about that scene in the Martian...”

Absolutely the best thing to say. There’s nothing a Botanist likes better than to talk about the only movie in the history of cinema to make Botany remotely sexy. And Gabriel really doesn’t mind talking about Matt Damon in a goddamn spacesuit. It’s a win, win. Gabriel smiles broadly as he starts to make his way up the pathway with his cousin by his side. 

He doesn’t stop missing Sam, it’s been like a dull ache the entire time he’s been away, but spending time with his extended family is rare. He knows he’s got to make the most of it. And maybe next year... Sam had even suggested it... Maybe next year he can have both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing I really regretted about my first fic, What Would Klimt Do, was being too damn insecure about my writing to attempt Gabriel's POV. Honestly it would have made the fic way better. However, having time to really let the character develop through his dialogue and actions, maybe I was in a better place to write him more effectively. Anyway, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to properly see what Gabriel was up to in San Fransisco. I'll maybe do a couple more timestamps there if the prompts fit. If not, I might just do them as an aside at a later date.
> 
> Also, Gadreel's a botanist. Thanks to the prompt for that little fact I didn't know until I wrote it X-D. Apologies to any Botanists out there, this is not my personal opinion, it's just the sort of crap you hear around most other science departments. Frankly we (I should say they as I'm not part of this anymore and frankly as I had an interest in most branches I never engaged with it) all rip the piss out of each other. The physicists are the worst for being arrogant assholes, but man did some of the biologists have a massive chip on their shoulder.


	10. Day 18: Cookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean comes home from work to find the apartment in disarray. Cas is due over for a movie night any minute. He really doesn't have time for this shit.
> 
> Can definitely be read as a standalone.
> 
> Yep, this timestamp is from Dean's POV, but it is still very much about Sam and Gabriel. The scene takes place between Christmas and New Year (Between Let Me Paint you a Picture and Thanks for all the Memories).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When Dean says Angel here he's not meaning it in a literal sense. Sam is embarking on a painting project inspired by Gabriel's Hallowe'en costume.

Dean walks into a frickin’ bomb site. Flour, sugar, even eggs for christ’s sakes, all over the damn place. Dean’s not a neat freak, he really isn’t, but there are goddamn limits. Cas’ due to arrive any minute for their movie night and Dean really doesn’t need to deal with this shit right now.

He clenches his jaw and storms round the corner to Sam’s bedroom. The door’s closed, but he nearly yanks it open anyway. Nearly. Then he damn well remembers the last time. Sam’s pinboard, covered in all sorts of disturbing shit he really didn’t need to see. Sketches of naked Angels. Dean wouldn’t have had a problem with that. Except the damn Angel in question just so happened to be his brother’s really frickin annoying boyfriend. The one who has no damn concept of boundaries. Who Dean would really like to stop seeing halfway naked... or worse, because Christ, it just keeps on happening. 

So instead of storming into his brother’s room, he pauses, clenches his jaw again, and knocks.

The door swings open.

“Son of bitch!” 

_Again_. Christ’s sake. No goddamn boundaries at all. Dean would shield his eyes from the sight in front of him, but what’s the frickin’ point. He makes a face anyway. Because... what the _fuck_ weird shit are they up to this time? 

Gabriel’s wearing a... a _frilly apron_. Son of a bitch. At least it’s covering his goddamn junk. But dude, Dean _really_ doesn’t need to see his frickin nipples. Goddamn hairy and shit and surrounded by what looks disturbingly like... no that’s icing. Thank fuck for small favors. 

“Dean-o! Did not expect to see you here. How’s it hanging?”

The little asshole actually grins at him, like this is a perfectly normal set of circumstances. Like Dean didn’t just walk in on his brother’s latest fucked up sex game. _Jesus_. 

“Dude, I frickin live here. What the fuck-”

He doesn’t get any further, because, hey, here’s the other goddamn half of this messed up duo.

“Christ, Dean what the hell?!” Sammy exclaims indignantly from the bathroom.

Well that’s just rich- 

Dean snorts out a loud startled laugh as he turns to face his brother.

That... no that is just... goddamn _hilarious_. He doesn’t know what’s funnier... The narrowed eyes behind the dorky wire rimmed glasses. The freakin starched to shit shirt and tie. No it’s definitely the... fuck christ, he is never going to let Sammy live this one down... The honest to God _man bun_ he’s sporting.

“Christ Dean, why the hell can’t you learn to goddamn knock?”

Dean wheezes out another laugh. Oh man, he cannot look at that bitchface right now. Those pursed lips with the get up are just too damn much. He can hear Gabriel chuckling away from the doorway. Sammy turns his bitchface in his boyfriend’s direction.

“Dude, I did knock,” Dean finally manages to wheeze out, “frickin Nigella over there opened up the damn door.”

He makes a face when he realises what he just said. Did he just compare _Gabriel_ to that sweet hot goddess, subject of many an adolescent wet dream?

Sam makes a face at him, then he’s looking incredulously at his boyfriend. 

“You opened the door?!” 

Now Sammy’s gaping at Gabriel as he just raises his eyebrows. Dude there’s no way to look innocent in that getup. Dean snorts out another laugh. As Sammy glares at him, Gabriel turns round and-

_Fuck’s sake_. Dean really does slap a hand over his face this time. _Son of bitch._

He hears Sam’s groan and then Gabriel just frickin comes out with, “Wanna cookie?”

Does he want a goddamn cookie? _Seriously_?

Dean cracks an eye open. It’s his turn to groan. Cookies shaped like dicks. He shoulda known. 

Though actually, they kinda look... Why the hell not? Dean swipes one from the plate and takes a large bite. Yeah that’s actually pretty frickin good. His brother can’t bake for shit, must have been Gabriel who made these. The dude actually knows what he’s doing.

“_Seriously_?” 

Sam raises his eyebrows in Dean’s direction. 

Dean just smirks right back at him, shrugs a shoulder and takes another large, delicious bite. Silver linings man, gotta take the silver linings. Or in this case the goddamn delicious dick shaped cookies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nigella Lawson is probably 100 per cent a British phenomenon, but it just fit way too much not to use.


	11. Day 19: Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This timestamp takes place on the last day of their stay at the cabin. While it references some events from my fics, it can be read as a standalone.
> 
> Slightly spoilerish for events in my fics. Not in great detail, but if you want to read them it might be best to read this one afterwards.
> 
> *WARNING*: childhood trauma (not specified), implied abusive family member (an older brother). There are no details given.

Gabriel’s never liked that question. But it crops up now and then. The last time, it was during a little spring time fling. He forgets the name. 

_What’s your happiest memory?_

Of course Gabriel took too long to answer. Apparently the done thing is to answer, _When I met you_, or some such B.S.. Or at least it was with Brad?... Brendan?... some B or another. Suffice to say, that relationship didn’t last. Gabriel wasn’t exactly broken up about it. Rock hard abs will only get you so far. Benny? Yikes no, not Benny. He always acted like he was doing Gabriel a favor. Unfortunately that favor didn’t always include orgasms... at least not for him and yeesh, if that isn’t a deal breaker, Gabriel doesn’t know what is.

Anyway, he digresses. The question. Back then he never knew how to answer it. 

Playing strip poker behind the dustbins at high school? No. He saw a few eye catching sights, albeit with underwear always kept on... then Michael found out. The usual. Fun times. 

Making out with the Prom King behind the bike shed? Nope. He was hot, but then he cried and Gabriel had to spend the rest of the night comforting the guy. Not exactly his idea of a good time, but yeesh, what can you do. Couldn’t exactly leave him to his big Gay freak out all by his lonesome. Gabriel admits he can be an asshole, but he’s not a total dick.

Getting his first guitar? Maybe. He remembers Mom’s face when he opened it. The look of joy sparkling in her eyes... the very same shade as his. Damn it... it’s a happy memory, but he can’t help feeling sadness too. All mixed together. And until a few short days ago, there was that knot twisting in his stomach whenever he thought about her.

All his childhood memories are like that... good... happy... sure. But with a heavy dose of craptastic trauma on the side.

It is what it is.

Later then. He’s been happy. Playing with Chuck. Their band. Whole lot of joy there... Until he screwed things up royally. He doesn’t want to think about that.

Lotsa fun times with Jo, Cassie, even Luke. But no one moment stands out.

He was happy, but...

But he was damn lonely if truth be told. Lonely for a whole lotta years. Having fun. Living it up. Flitting through a whole lotta partners. He never meant to. But well... they never tended to stick around for long.

It was what it was.

Now though. Hells. That’s the funny thing. It’s not a case of wracking his brain for something, some moment that’s happy enough, without a whole lot of crap attached to it. No, now... Honestly? He just can’t choose... 

That moment when he first caught sight of the hottest human being he’d ever laid eyes on? That moment not long afterwards when Gabriel literally walked right into Sam... or rather his ludicrously hot, well muscled chest? Sharing tales of the unexpectedly gross and weird from his time as a Janitor in an Art building filled with students, who try their very best to out-eccentric each other? Sam’s laugh... he couldn’t get enough of it... It was like crack cocaine... Not that he’s ever... Yeesh, he likes to party, but he also likes his brain cells intact. Thanks. But no thanks.

Where was he? Right. Maybe that time on the roof top eating by candlelight and staring up at the stars... Gabriel almost kissed Sam that night, but... he lost his nerve. 

Hallowe’en? Hoo boy. Right up there. Right up there against the back of his place of gainful employment. Hells yeah. 

Their first date? Their first proper sex? Hells was that messy, explosive, hilariously awkward but... Sam telling him he loved him? Blurting it right out like that. Gabriel’s heart skips a beat. That. But then... first fuck? Second fuck? All the fucks inbetween? Hells maybe it was what they did a few short hours ago in the workshop? Not gonna forget that in a hurry. 

Maybe it’s now. Sitting on a porch swing. Taking one last look over the lake before they leave tomorrow. Just sitting here. Together.

He’s taken far too long to answer.

Sam huffs a breath out into his hair. “Sorry. That was a really... that was kind of a crappy question. You don’t have to answer it.”

Gabriel turns round in his arms. Takes a hit of the puppy dog eyes. Yeesh they’re potent tonight.

“It’s not that,” Gabriel sighs. He purses his lips. “It’s just... All of it Sam. Every goddamn minute of every day... that I get to spend with you.”

Sam’s eyebrows raise almost to his hairline. His lips twitch. Gabriel rolls his eyes. Right, that was cheesy as hell. He knows it... But Sam doesn’t mock him or burst out laughing. He just does this weird leaning forward thing. Forward and craning his neck down until their foreheads are resting together. That’s gotta hurt and damn it if Gabriel’s not going completely cross-eyed trying to look in those goddamn blinders.

“Same.” Sam simply says after a beat. 

Wow that was all sorts of poetic Sam... Except... Gabriel’s heart’s dancing a foxtrot in his chest and his belly feels like it’s flipping pancakes in there. Pancakes. Those delicious fluffy pancakes Sam made for him yesterday. Hells. Gabriel draws in a deep breath and closes his eyes, his lips searching for and finding Sam’s. Long fingers thread back into his hair. He groans into the kiss, feels his heart stutter in his chest.

This right now. This.


	12. Day 20: Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Timestamp takes place during Let Me Paint You a Picture (the evening of their first full day at the cabin). It can be read as a standalone. All you need to know is that Dean and Cas like eye fucking. Wait... what?... You already knew that?...

“Holy cats, how long’s that now?”

“Uh...” Sam consults his wrist watch. “Huh... 10 minutes... at least.”

Gabriel chuckles. “And they haven’t... How can they not notice?”

Sam just shrugs his shoulders and looks up at the darkening sky. The riot of colors playing across the open vista above them. Ever changing, ever shifting. Deep crimsons, burnt oranges, rich golds. Clouds lit as if from within. All reflected in mesmorising duplicate in the still, calm surface of the lake below. It’s the best sunset he’s seen in a good long while. He’s almost itching to get his paints out, but... it’s too rapid. In trying to capture it, he’d almost miss too much. Sometimes it’s better to just look, absorb, feel. Commit it all to memory.

Gabriel chuckles again. “Gotta be a record by now. That’s a veritable eye-fuck-athon.”

Sam laughs and shakes his head. Gabriel’s missing just as much. Sam smiles down at him, grabs hold of his chin and starts to tilt it up... He freezes. Caught... utterly mesmorised. The last rays of sun are breaking through the low lying clouds. In that instant they’re bathed in a golden glow. Gabriel’s eyes... He’s never seen them look so beautiful. Alight with mirth; brilliantly illuminated by those last golden rays... It’s fleeting. The light fades, sun dipping below the horizon. But he can’t look away. Gabriel’s lips part. If he meant to say something, to throw out some quip or throw away remark, the thread of thought appears lost. He just stares back.

Sam’s heart skips a beat. It’s like the first time. And yet it’s so much more. They haven’t lost that spark; it’s a blazing fire instead. He-

“Dude, get a room!”

Sam sighs. The moment’s lost and yet the amusement flickering in Gabriel’s eyes now is no less appealing.

He smirks up at Sam. Sam lets go of his chin as he turns to face Dean.

“Been there, done that... or rather your lil bro did. And by _that_... I mean _me_.”

_Jesus Gabe_. 

Dean abruptly halts in his progress back towards the cabin and makes a face. Trailing behind him, Cas just sighs and shakes his head.

“Kinda hard and fast. Good times. Of course I’d definitely go for round 2 if you really wanna forfeit y-”

Sam grabs hold of Gabriel’s chin again and dives in for a kiss, swallowing Gabriel’s words with his lips and tongue.

Gabriel makes a strangled noise of complaint, but Sam notes he doesn’t pull away.

Dean shakes his head, muttering, _son of a bitch_, under his breath as he passes them on the way to the back door.

Gabriel’s muffled complaints turn into a low groan as he pushes forward into the kiss.

Sam can’t really see it, but he can certainly hear the amusement in Cas’ voice as he intones,“Thank you Sam.”

And then they’re alone. All that matters is the press of lips and tongue. He gets lost in it. Lost in Gabriel. By the time they part, all the color has gone out of the sky, all except the very barest traces. Huh looks like they missed it too. 

But a new display is just begining... the first stars winking into existence above them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Christmas Gift Drabbles*: As a thank you for all the wonderful support I’ve received while writing my first ever series… For a limited time only, say until New Year, I am offering up Art School Verse Sabriel drabbles. Ask box me or comment (On Tumblr or here)) with a prompt or a referenced scene that you don’t actually see (i.e. Damn you with that fade to black, where’s my smut… that sort of thing) and I’ll see what I can do. I may have to tweak things if they don’t fit into the narrative I’ve already got in mind, but I’ll do my best to satisfy… ahem… didn’t mean to make that sound dirty. 
> 
> The rules: Must be from this verse, I reserve the right to refuse (politely) something I simply feel I can’t write (Basically nothing I couldn’t see them doing). Since I do have a fic ready to go and ideas for other fics, I might say… oh that’s already coming up and promise to link you. You can of course then choose something else. What else… Timeframe. That will depend entirely on how big the uptake is. Likely I won’t get any done before Christmas as I’m already doing the Advent Drabbles. Let’s say likely by the end of Jan, but bare in mind life circumstances etc. For a limited time only (until New Year).
> 
> P.S. Much as I’m all about the Sabriel, you can ask for a canon to this verse pairing or different POV. Bear in mind for this that some I might not feel like I can do justice… in which case I might persuade you to ask for something else.


	13. Day 21: Photographs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Timestamp oddly takes place after a fic I haven't even posted yet... It's New Years Day and Gabriel drops a badly wrapped parcel in Sam's lap.
> 
> Can be read as a standalone. Slight spoilers for my other fics, but nothing too much.

Sam hisses in a breath as something heavy is dropped unceremoniously in his lap. _Ow. Damn it Gabe._

He looks up to a broad and vaguely self satisfied smirk. _Uh ok..._

His eyes drop back down to the badly wrapped parcel, his brows drawing together in a frown. It’s not his birthday. Christmas has passed. It’s New Year’s day and he’s feeling kind of exhausted and maybe a little delicate. Not nearly as bad as Dean... but... In the end they stayed up way later than intended and there had been plenty of reason to celebrate. While he didn’t hit up the Purple Nurples like his brother, he’s most definitely learned his lesson on that part, Benny had brought champagne and then Gabriel started in with the cocktails at three in the morning... Christ. How is he even upright, let alone in such good spirits.

“Uh,” is all he manages.

Gabriel huffs out a breath. “Come on Samsquatch, open it.”

Sam lets out a long breath himself before giving in to the inevitable.

Apparently it’s taking him way too long to wrestle the object out of it’s overenthusiastic wrappings, because Gabriel whips it off his person again. Of course he doesn’t exactly succeed either. He glares at the tightly wound scotch tape, before bustling off to find something sharp. While the idea of Gabriel hunting for sharp objects in his apartment isn’t exactly a good one, he find himself a little too worn out to-

_Jesus!_

_Ow ow ow. Damn it, Gabriel._ Christ. At least he has the decency to look sheepish this time as Sam clutches his crotch.

Once the throbbing has mostly subsided, once he’s cleared the tears from his stinging eyes, Sam finally has a chance to register what Gabriel’s unceremiously dropped into his lap (from rather a greater height that time damn it). 

It’s... Wow when did Gabriel have time to do this? Or has he been planning it for awhile? Sam looks down at the image staring back at him from the window in the cover. Gabriel’s big grin; Sam looking all sorts of awkward, kind of dorky, but... most definitely happy. It’s the selfie Gabriel took of them right back at the start, when they’d just begun dating. He insisted on taking it just before they parted from their first date. Sam feels a warmth spreading from the centre of his chest. That date was... well it was awkward and yet at the very same time it was completely natural and easy. That shouldn’t make sense, except it fits completely, fits them completely. 

Gabriel chuckles. Sam startles. He was so caught up in remembering... And apparently he’s caressing Gabriel’s face in the image. Christ, that’s kind of embarassing. He flushes.

Gabriel makes a little noise in his throat. At the flushing, at the awkwardness, Sam’s not exactly sure what, but a moment later, Gabriel’s settling down on the sofa beside him.

“Do you like it?” He asks. 

He sounds excited, but also a little apprehensive. Even after all they’ve been through. Sam reaches out and briefly takes a hold of Gabriel’s hand, squeezing it gently before letting go.

“I... I love it.” 

He wants to say more. About how much this means, but he’s not sure he can find the right words so he just flips the book open, turning to the next page. Wow. He snorts out a small laugh. He supposes he should have expected this. They haven’t exactly taken many pictures together... So instead, Gabriel appears to have filled the pages with the selfies they sent back and forth. There’s Gabriel’s ridiculous picture with his Randy Retirees/Cougars (his Life Drawing class for local retirees, most of whom do appear to be rather... well the descriptor fits), there’s Sam’s bitchface, his rather pathetic puppy dog eyes, his... _oh Christ_, Gabriel’s even included the image Sam took dripping wet from the shower with only a skimpy towel around his waist.

Sam glances across at Gabriel. He may have appeared apprehensive before, but now he just seems rather pleased with himself, and Sam really doesn’t want to turn the expression back to where it was. Doesn’t want that self doubt to surface again. So he bites his tongue and continues to flip. 

_Oh God_. Ok that one’s adorable, he forgot about that one... 

He pauses and stares down on the image he just flipped to. Gabriel didn’t... _Christ_. He doesn’t have a printer, how did he? In a daze, Sam flips through the remaining pictures. 

Ok, yes he even included those. Wow. That’s. Sam’s honestly never been so speechless. And since he met Gabriel, he’s been plenty speechless. He flips back a page and stares.

He’s not sure he really wants to know the answer to this question, but he has to know. Because Gabriel hasn’t left out... well anything...

“Uh Gabriel... how exactly...?” Yeah he doesn’t even know how to finish that sentence. 

He looks over at Gabriel’s face. He looks... maybe a little amused, but as if he’s trying his very best to keep a straight face. 

“Oh I happen to know someone at the local printers. Real nice gal, got a great eye for great ass-”

“_Jesus Gabe_!” Sam blurts out before he can finish that sentence, because, _fuck_. 

He took these to an honest to God printer’s? In _town_? _Fuck_, Sam’s never going to be able to... Damn it but he’s not sure he wants to even leave the apartment any time soon, or in the next goddamn decade. What the fuck was Gabriel thinking?

Sam stares. Gabriel stares back, eyebrows raised, like it was a perfectly normal thing to do. Perfectly appropriate. Like what the hell’s Sam worried about. _Oh... maybe a complete stranger seeing his goddamn naked ass!_ And that’s not even the worst thing in here. _Shit_. There’s a lot he can put up with, but Gabriel’s gone too far this time. He’s so over the goddamn line, he’s in a different fucking State. 

“Gabriel,” he grits out. “What the-”

He breaks off. Gabriel’s lip is twitching furiously. _Oh for fuck’s sake_... Of course. Sam levels his very best bitchface at him. And that’s of course when he looses it completely, doubles over, his barking laugh almost loud enough to hurt Sam’s ears.

Sam sighs and just waits it out. Not funny Gabe. Really not funny.

Finally Gabriel’s laughter trails off, though he continues to hold his side, continues to smirk shamelessly. 

“Hells Sam...” Gabriel finally manages inbetween gulping breaths. “You shoulda... seen your... face.”

Sam’s oh so tempted to mention Gabriel’s face right now, which is beetroot red from all the laughing. 

Instead he just sighs and runs a hand back through his hair. _Fuck’s sake_. Gabriel is really lucky he’s cute. Really damn lucky. 

When Gabriel doesn’t elaborate after a good long while, Sam gives him a pointed look, raising both eyebrows.

Gabriel waves a hand vaguely in the air. “Jo-ster let me borrow her laptop and printer.”

_What?!_

At Sam’s horrified look, Gabriel smirks a little. “Yeesh Sam, She really didn’t want to ‘see that shit’,” Gabriel makes airquotes, rolling his eyes at the same time, “You’re dignity’s intact... Mostly.”

Sam makes a face at that. Of course, thanks to Luke and Gabriel’s Goddamn forfeit, his dignity’s no where near intact when it comes to Jo, but her seeing some of these would have admittedly been far worse.

They sit in silence for a moment. Sam looks down at the images. 

“Look... Sam. I... I thought it was a good idea. Clearly... clearly I was waaaaay off base.” Gabriel huffs out a breath and makes to take the book from Sam’s hands.

“Wait.” 

Sam holds on to the edges of the book. Takes one more glance at all that beautiful pale skin. These aren’t... Well sure they’re a little inappropriate for a photo album. But...

“Was it... Was this all part of some elaborate joke?”

Gabriel huffs out a breath. Sam glances up at his pursed lips, his drawn expression, the little furrow between his brows. Something about it makes his heart clench.

“It... it wasn’t a joke ok? Just... your face.” Gabriel draws his lower lip into his mouth and looks away. “But... No. I started off with just the standard selfies and all that jazz and hells, there wasn’t much, so I added a few that were maybe a little ‘risque’. But then... Well,” He sighs and shrugs a shoulder, “I just thought... This is _us_. All of it and... Maybe I got a little carried away.”

Sam just looks at him. _This is us._ Christ, but it actually makes a whole lot of sense. This _is_ them. Right here in this book. Sam’s never going to be anything but a little awkward and Gabriel’s never going to be entirely appropriate.

Sam takes in a deep breath. So what if this isn’t like any other photo album he’s ever seen. So what if it includes their most intimate moments. Sam finds that actually, he wants to remember those even more than the awkwardly posed selfies. Even the damn pubes picture Gabriel took a mile high in a United Airlines rest room... that completely freaked Sam out. Even that. Because this is every part of them. And it may be off the wall crazy, but it’s also perfect. Perfectly them.

“We hardly had any pictures...” Gabriel mumbles, voice low and dispondent.

Damn it.

“Gabe, it’s perfect.” 

Gabriel looks up at him, golden eyes wide and questioning.

“It’s a little uh... out there. But,” Sam gives Gabriel a small smile and reaches for the hand that’s fidgeting with Gabriel’s cuff. “You’re right it _is_ us.”

Gabriel still looks a little startled, but a wide smile is starting to spread across his features. Sam lets go of his hand, places the book carefully on the coffee table in front of him and picks up his cell phone. Gabriel frowns, not quite getting it. Sam smiles and wraps an arm around him, drawing him into his side. Now he’s getting it, his smile widening even further, those gorgeous dimples appearing at the corners. Sam looks back to his phone, leans down to rest his cheek against Gabriel’s temple and he takes the shot.

When Gabriel then makes a growling sound in the back of his throat, grabs a fist full of Sam’s shirt and draws him into a deep and dirty kiss... Sam takes a shot of that too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A reminder that I'm currently taking requests/prompts for drabbles in this verse. It can be anything from a single word prompt to a missing scene. Please bear in mind that I may tweak if it doesn't fit the narrative etc. Comment here or message/comment on Tumblr x


	14. Day 22: Candles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This Timestamp takes place between the last chapter of The Art of Healing and the Epilogue, during their first few days dating. Can be read as a standalone. Just a couple of things you need to know: Jess still died in a fire and Gabriel works 3 part time jobs. He is a bartender and janitor as well as a life model, all at the University.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNINGS*: anxiety

He’s an idiot. Gabriel will only very rarely admit it out loud of course... but he’s self aware enough to know that sometimes... sometimes he doesn’t think things through. And sometimes... ok maybe a little more frequently than sometimes... he runs off his mouth off without thinking too.

He should have thought. It was blindingly obvious. But the third time Sam obsessively checked and then double, then _triple_ checked that they’d put out all the little tea lights Gabriel had scattered about on the roof top... Gabriel maybe told him to _relax_... he maybe even called him a _nervous nelly_. Gabriel cringes at the very thought. It was so utterly stupid. He can still see Sam’s expression. He looked... God, he’d looked _tortured_. And Gabriel put that expression on his face. And then Gabriel must have looked utterly horrified at his own stupidity, because then Sam had apologized to _him_. And Gabriel was just too shell shocked by the whole situation that he was all the way home and climbing into bed before he realised the horrible truth. 

He never actually apologized.

He lays awake all that night. Tossing and turning, guilt churning in his stomach like his insides have become some sort of horrific and vomit inducing fairground ride. Honestly, Gabriel can be an asshole... He freely admits it. He takes things too far, makes inappropriate jokes... Sometimes he ends up offending people and if he’s completely honest with himself... He doesn’t always care. Because usually the person’s an asshole themselves or has a giant stick up their ass. He doesn’t care. But... but when he does care. When he cares a lot... And he’s still managed to be an enormous asshole. There’s that feeling.

And he deserves to feel it. Of course he does. Because he hurt Sam. He said sometime truly and utterly bewilderingly thoughtless and it will serve him right if he loses Sam over it. Damn it, but now he feels something else churning in his stomach. Fear. He knows it’s selfish... but the thought of losing Sam, maybe that’s even worse than the guilt. After such a long time, after Gabriel spent many a fruitless hour pining away for the freakishly tall, heart stoppingly gorgeous, genius artist, they finally got together. Gabriel still doesn’t quite get why. But hells is he not going to examine it too closely. 

They’ve only been together for a few short, glorious days... Has Gabriel already fucked things up completely? That wouldn’t exactly be a record for him. But this time... This time he’s not sure he could recover from the crushing disappointment. Because he doesn’t just have a hard on for Sam Winchester... Oh boy does he have that. But not _just_ that. He hasn’t come right out and admitted it yet. Sam would probably run a mile. It’s waaaaaaay too early for that. But... But Gabriel loves him. Utterly, hopelessly and painfully loves him.

To go through all that and lose him anyway? Hells, they haven’t even had _sex_ yet. The thought of that never happening sends Gabriel’s stomach churning again. Crap can’t think like that. He can’t. 

He’ll just have to think of a way to make it up to Sam. He stares up at the ceiling, watches the shadows chasing across the surface. Just gotta find a way...

~~~

Gabriel draws his lower lip into his mouth, flips the switch and places the last little tea light down on the roof. It’s not much. He knows it’s not much. He hardly has the money for grand gestures and anyway... Well Sam’s just not the person for grand gestures. He learned that the hard way... It’s the small things that matter. 

Still... could have done with a few more. These aren’t exactly throwing off much light. Gracie didn’t have much in stock. And she drove a hard bargain. That was until Gabriel told her they were for Sam. Gracie may be an entrepreneur at heart, but she has a soft spot for puppy dog eyes and tragic backstories and being the enormous gossip she is, she knows Sam’s. 

He runs his eyes over the meagre display. Half of them are oddly multi-colored. It’s... kinda festive?! Bit early in the year for that but... beggars, choosers. He sighs and runs a hand back through his hair. Crap. Might as well have not bothered combing it. Hells. He’s nervous. He’s being stupid. Or is he? There’s only one way to find out.

~~~

Sam stumbles and lets out a startled yelp. Yikes. Ok, maybe Gabriel should have reminded him of the little step up there. He pauses, gives Sam a chance to find his equilibrium, before edging them forwards again. It’s admittedly awkward, what with Sam towering a whole head above Gabriel... He’s really having to crouch down here... but after a whole lot of bitching, after a whole lot of complaining that he really couldn’t stop for dinner as he has way too much work to do and he can’t afford to spend the rest of the evening making out with the Janitor on the Art school roof... Gabriel’s heart had skipped a beat at that... So he might still want to do that?... But anyways, finally he had agreed to let Gabriel place his hands over his eyes. Because there can’t be any peeking damn it and... Ok here. This is the right spot. For maximum effect. Such as it is. 

Gabriel draws in a breath. Ok. Here goes nothing. He lets go. Circles around as Sam straightens up, as he blinks his eyes and... He looks confused at first. Then... then a smile slowly spreads across his features. He lets out a little laugh.

“Gabriel... What is... what is this?”

Damn it, but he thought that would be obvious. He has to explain? It’s the weird multi color ones, isn’t it? Throwing off the whole ambience. Maybe he should have gone without them. But then there wouldn’t have been nearly enough and...

Sam’s hands are on his face, he’s looking down at Gabriel with concern in his eyes. Right. Gabriel was kind of inside his own head there. Words. Gotta find the words.

He clears his throat awkwardly. 

“Safety first,” he blurts out with a grin. Sam makes a face. Oh damn he thinks he’s being mocked. _Shit_. “Health and safety.” _What?_ What the hell is wrong with him? Sam’s drawing away. Gabriel makes a frustrated noise in the back of his throat and grabs onto Sam’s forearm.

“Damn it Sam, I’m sorry!”

Oh wow, now he just sounds angry. _Fuck_. Why is he so bad at this? Why does his usual charm completely escape him in situations like this. He closes his eyes tightly, wills his thundering heartbeat to quiet down. Takes a deep breath through his nostrils. He knew how to handle things with Sam when he was torturing himself with his art project. Ok so the personal stakes weren’t so high then. But... He can do this...

He opens his eyes, looks up at Sam’s bewildered face. Bewildered but patient. Hells he does not deserve this man. He swallows. 

“Sam, I screwed up. I forgot.” He draws in a breath, willing himself not to look away. “I forgot why you’ve gotta do what you... I get it and I’m sorry I was so damn stupid to say what I-”

“Shhh it’s ok.” Sam’s hands are on his face again, fingers going back into his hair. “It’s ok. I know you didn’t mean it. It’s ok.”

He lets out a sigh of relief as he’s drawn into Sam’s embrace. He pillows his head on Sam’s chest and just listens to Sam’s heartbeat. He looks out at the colorful, gaudy display. The dozen or so little plastic tea lights, throwing dancing illuminations over the roof. His vision blurs. He blinks until it clears and then he just closes his eyes.

It’s ok. He hasn’t lost this. He doesn’t know how long it will last, but for one more night at least, he hasn’t lost this. 

And he fully intends to take advantage of it...

~~~

“Damn it Gabe.”

Sam sounds breathless. Gabriel tries not to look too smug. It’s clearly not working. Sam levels a look at him and rubs his hand over his face. 

“I was supposed to... damn it, I was supposed to be working.”

Gabriel chuckles and settles down at his side. Sam sighs and rubs circles into his back absently. It feels good. So damn good.

“I’m going to have to come in when Garth’s here.” Sam says with another sigh.

Gabriel makes a face at that. “You are not having a torrid affair with Garth,” Gabriel intones with mock horrified offense.

Sam snorts out a startled laugh, breath playing across Gabriel’s scalp.

“I need to actually work Gabe. And everytime I try to work overtime when you’re on duty...”

He trails off. Fun sexy times Sam. Fun sexy times. Gabriel’s not seeing a downside to that. At all. Except. Wow, it’s getting late and he’s done exactly nada. Still got his whole shift to work through. Ouch. Gonna be a late one. Damn it but Sam might have a point. He rolls his eyes anyway. Sam laughs and presses a kiss into Gabriel’s hair.

“Not tonight. I think tonight’s a foregone conclusion.” 

Sam stares out at the little colorful lights, watches the fake flickering. They’re tacky as hell, but Sam doesn’t seem to mind. And that... that makes Gabriel’s heart sing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spot the borrowed character X-D


	15. Day 23: Snooze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time stamp takes place between Let Me Paint You a Picture and Thanks for All the Memories. It can be read as a standalone. Only thing you need to know is that Gabriel and Chuck used to be best friends at College and had a falling out (reason as yet unrevealed in the verse).

_It was the heat of the moment... Telling me what my heart meant..._

Sam winces at the blaring sound in his head. Damn it’s like déjà vu... only this time at least his brother’s voice hasn’t joined the fray. Still. He starts to reach a hand over, but an arm quickly snakes across him and smacks the snooze button hard... Probably hard enough to break his damn alarm clock. _Jesus Gabe_.

Words are muttered into his skin. He feels Gabriel’s hot breath against his chest, messy hair trailing across his flesh as Gabriel burrows further into him.

“What was that?” he asks with a small laugh.

There’s a groan, a definite sound of complaint, but Gabriel lifts his head and and blinks up at him with bleary, sleep softened eyes.

“Déjà vu,” he mutters, then flops his head back on Sam’s chest like that was clearly explanation enough.

Sam frowns. Did he speak aloud? He certainly doesn’t remember telling Gabriel about the morning after their... well what they did that night in the life drawing room. About waking up exhausted, to that very song, blaring over the radio. His brother singing along... badly. 

“Déjà vu?” 

There’s another sound of complaint. He feels movement against his chest. Definitely Gabriel’s eyebrows. Sam’s amused for a moment and then he’s incredibly distracted as Gabriel’s hips shift against him. Sam draws in a sharp breath as Gabriel slides off him.

He almost misses the eyeroll. 

“It’s when you feel like you’ve lived through the same day, moment, whatever more than-”

“I know what it means Gabe,” Sam interrupts exhasperated. “But why did you just say it?”

Gabriel makes a face at him, but then he smirks.

“Oh just a prank I once played on Chuck. Classic. It was an absolute classic.”

Sam smiles as Gabriel sits up, his eyes alight with good humor. He doesn’t have to ask Gabriel to elaborate...

_Asia’s heat of the moment blares over the clock radio. Gabriel sighs heavily, mutters “Yeesh, Asia...” under his breath and hits the snooze button._

_There’s a beat. Gabriel holds his breath. It doesn’t take long._

_Chuck sits bolt upright. His blue eyes look wildly about, hair sticking up in every direction._

_“What, what the what...?” _

_Gabriel has to bite his tongue to stop the laugh from breaking free. Damn it, but his face! Even more glorious than he imagined._

_Gabriel takes a moment to calm himself. “I mean, Asia, hardly Rockin my socks off. It’s practically pop. I don’t know why they don’t just **call** it pop. Yeesh.”_

_Chuck just stares at him as he throws back the covers and hops out of bed._

_“Jeez Gabriel,” Chuck whines on cue, slapping a hand over his eyes._

_Gabriel lets the chuckle out, then raises an eyebrow._

_“Come on... We talked about this... We just talked about this yesterday.”_

_Gabriel blatantly ignores the reference to ‘yesterday’._

_“You know you should really try it Chuckles, sleeping in the nude is so freeing.”_

_Chuck sighs heavily. “And I told you to stop calling me that... Yesterday.”_

_“What? It’s cute?” _

_Chuck just groans and flops back on the bed, defeated for now, apparently, albeit muttering to himself about hash brownies and flashbacks._

_Gabriel smiles to himself. Ignores the neurotic monologue... that’s kinda déjà vu in itself... and pulls on his tatty old robe. The day is just beginning. He has so many treats in store. He just can’t wait..._

“Wait a minute.” Sam interrupts the narrative.

Gabriel makes a face at him, but he stops talking, raising both eyebrows in question.

“There’s no way that could work. As soon as he steps outside the room...”

Gabriel chuckles. Looks at Sam like he just said something utterly ridiculous. Sam sighs. Gabriel scoffs.

“Come on Samshine, there you go underestimating me again.” 

Sam levels a look at him. Honestly he’s learned not to underestimate Gabriel, many times over by this point.  
“Bucko, you got no idea what lengths I’ll go to for a good prank.”

Actually he does. He heard all about the prank wars with Balthazar, got a play by play from Gabriel himself, with plenty of illustrative imagery and even video evidence. He raises an eyebrow.

Gabriel smirks. “Let’s just say, there were a fair few people who owed me a favor. And the rest?” Gabriel shrugs a shoulder. “Well they knew a favor from me meant something.”

Sam gapes at him. “You bribed your whole... floor?”

Gabriel chuckles. “Pulease.” Gabriel pauses for dramatic effect. “Try the whole dormitory.”

Well that... that would do it.

_Chuck twitches by his side, he keeps on twitching nervously, eyes widening each time he comes into contact with a student who’s wearing the same damn thing as they were yesterday. _

_“It is... It is Wednesday right? I mean... Nachos Wednesday... It is nachos Wedsnesday?”_

_Gabriel chuckles and slings an arm around his friend’s shoulders. This is honestly too easy. It’s like Chuck’s anticipating their conversation. It’s far too easy just to stick to the script._

_“Get ready for Taco Tuesday Chuckles!" _

_Chuck groans. “Tacos. Can’t take any more Tacos. And stop... stop calling me that.”_

_Ash pops his head out of his dorm room on cue, same ol Death metal t-shirt in view, blinks wearily and says, “Taco Tuesdays? Aw right man!” He gives Gabriel a huge grin and lays an enthusiastic high-five on him as he passes. _

_Yeesh. Their resident stoner is not winning any acting awards with that performance, but it appears that Chuck’s freaking out way too much to actually pay attention to the less than stellar overacting._

_Lenore’s next. Bustling past them, muttering about her forgotten homework. She was a hard sell, but also, it appears, a far better actor than Ash. She has the nervous babble down to perfection. _

_Gabriel chances a glance at Chuck. Hoo boy, this is working better than he could have imagined. His friend’s pulling nervously at his hair, staring after Lenore, muttering to himself about never, never ingesting pot again._

_Then comes..._

“Gabriel...” Sam sighs, rubs a hand over his face. “Don’t you think you maybe... You maybe took it a little bit...” Sam bites his lip. He hates to say this but... “Far?”

Gabriel makes a face at him. “Come again?”

“Uh well... I mean. Pranks I get, Dean and I... Well we played our fair share of tricks on each other, but...” He draws in a breath. “You made your best friend think he was living the same day again...”

“And...?”

“Well isn’t it a little... Uh... You made him think he was literally going insane?” Sam finds his voice rising at the end. Well he supposes it is a question.

Gabriel purses his lips and makes a considering face. After a beat he rolls his eyes.

“Sam-a-lam, you take things too seriously. We did that sort of thing to each other all the time. It’s how we showed each other we loved and appreciated one another.”

Sam snorts out a laugh. “How do you figure that?”

Gabriel puffs out a breath of air. “Well, for one, if I didn’t care, then why the hells would I put so much effort into it?”

Sam makes a face. Then he raises his eyebrows as a horrific thought occurs to him. If this is the way Gabriel shows affection, then what the hell’s in store for him?

Gabriel can clearly read his mind as he barks out a loud laugh. “Hells Sam, tricks are for kids. It was fun at the time, but... I’ve grown since then.”

Sam raises a sardonic eyebrow. _Really?_

Gabriel chuckles, long and loud. “Ok maybe not entirely. Getting my sweet sweet revenge on with Balthy? That was fun with a capital F. But,” he shrugs his shoulders, “you really think I’d do anything to jeopardise this little thing we’ve got going on?”

“Little thing?”

Gabriel winces. His expression turns serious. “I love you Sam. I wouldn’t do anything like... I wouldn’t do anything you’d hate. That would hurt you... I...”

Sam sighs, he leans forward and runs a thumb over Gabriel’s cheekbone, following it with a light kiss before drawing back.

“I... I guess I know that.” He lets a small smile curve one corner of his lips upwards. “Just skip... skip to the end. Not sure I can take hearing your friend slowly lose his mind...”

Gabriel sighs. The uncertainty gone, he rolls his eyes heaven wards, huffing out an annoyed breath. “Yeesh, Sam he was fine.”

“Ok then... how did he figure it out? He did figure it out right?”

“Continuity errors.” Gabriel mutters. “I hate contunuity errors.” He sighs again, even more dramatically and continues.

  
_It’s all going swimmingly. Absolutely swimmingly, that is until..._

_Chuck halts abruptly. Gabriel freezes. **Fuck.** No. If they don’t continue. Then they’ll miss Tessa looking all hot in leather pants. Gabriel won’t be able to drool. Tessa won’t be able to tell him he doesn’t stand a chance in hell. Again. And then..._

_And of course he can’t say a word or he’ll be going way off script. Gabriel swings around and takes a couple of steps backwards. Tries to look innocuous. Tries not do anything that’s too obviously un-Tuesday-like._

_“Snooze.”_

** _What’s that now?_ **

_Chuck mutters unintelligably under his breath for a moment. Gabriel tries not to fidget. Wait, but he does fidget. A lot. So he fidgets. He rolls his shoulders, rolls his eyes and... Damn it, Tessa. She’s giving him a **What the fuck?** expression as she rounds the corner. Gabriel shoots her a look. **Act natural!** She makes a face at him. Gabriel chances a glance at Chuck. He’s not paying attention. Gabriel motions frantically at Tessa to get back around the corner and just play it cool. She levels a look at him. The price just went up. Gabriel sighs inwardly as she raises an eyebrow before turning on her heel and disappearing around the corner._

_Finally Chuck looks up at him. His eyes don’t look panicked any more. They look... ah. Ah shit. How did he know? How on earth did he figure it out? Gabriel’s sure he played it to perfection. Sure that the rather potent hash brownies they consumed last night would sell the trick. But apparently the game is up._

_He sighs. “Ok I gotta know, what gave it away?”_

_Chuck glares at him a moment then he just says, “The snooze button.”_

_Gabriel makes a face. “Come again?”_

_“You always hit the damn snooze button and walk off to the bathroom. Then guess who has to drag their ass out of bed to switch it off?”_

_“No I don’t.” Gabriel frowns. “My snooze button hasn’t worked in forever.”_

_Chuck just gives him a look, crossing his arms over his chest._

_“Oh.”_

_Chuck purses his lips and shakes his head. _

_“So I didn’t break it when I threw it against the wall that time?”_

_“Nope.”_

_“Ah.” Gabriel draws in a breath through his teeth. “So...”_

_“So it wasn’t your clock radio. Because yesterday I dragged my ass out of bed and switched it off like I always do.”_

_“How come you didn’t notice-”_

_Chuck throws his hands into the air. “Christ Gabriel, I was freaking out ok? With the Asia and the unexpected nudity... You really waited until I went to sleep so you could get naked again?!”_

_Gabriel purses his lips. “When you say it like that it almost sounds...”_

_“Insane? Gabriel, that’s because it. Is. Insane.” He scrubs a hand over his face. “And then there were the brownies. What was even in those?”_

_“Just the usual. Ash said-“_

_“You got them from Ash?!”_

_Gabriel raises his eyebrows. “Uh hello, Ash is resident stoner. Where the hells else would I get them? And what was wrong with them. So we got a little spaced out. That’s all that happened.”_

_“Well uh... let’s see... For starters everything I was seeing was in 2D.”_

** _What?_ **

_“Like damn cardboard cutouts. And then you claimed you could walk into another dimension.”_

_“Did I?” Can’t actually remember that part._

_“You walked into a wall Gabe.”_

_Ah that would explain the unexpected bruise on his temple that he had to hide under his hair. At least the effects wore off pretty quickly and-_

“Uh... hang on a second. It was the snooze button? You thought it was broken, but it wasn’t?”

Gabriel raises his eyebrows at him. “Yep. That’s the long and short of it.”

Sam levels a bitchface at him. He purses his lips. 

Gabriel just looks completely confused.

“Like you just broke mine.”

Gabriel brows draw together, he peers over at the clock radio, makes a face.

“How do you know it’s broken?”

Sam levels another look at him. Gabriel just continues to feign ignorance. “Oh I don’t know, maybe because you’ve been talking for the last half hour and it hasn’t gone off.”

Gabriel winces. “Ah.”

“Ah.”

Sam sighs and shakes his head. He runs a hand back through his hair. Much as Gabriel’s story had him hooked, he really needs to get up and take a shower. There’s one thing he has to know though.

“So what was the payback?”

Gabriel blinks at him a moment, clearly lost in thought, lost in his own memories. He looks kind of sad, despite the joy he seemed to take from spinning his tale. Then his lips twitch upwards.

“Oh lets just say I spent the whole rest of the quarter looking like the most attractive Weasley brother.”

Sam’s eyebrows raise almost to his hairline. 

“Chuck may have slipped my barber a bribe. Apparently he wasn’t so thrilled by me chatting up his friend instead of him. Who knew. I certainly didn’t. I did think that Indian Head massage was taking rather a long time. But hells, have you ever had one of those?” 

Sam just looks at him bewildered. _Indian head massage?_

Gabriel whistles long and low. “A little trance inducing slice of heaven Sam. Hells yeah.”

Sam’s eyebrows raise again.

“Yeesh not like that Sam. Mind out of the gutter. They’re just all sorts of relaxing. I zoned out, next thing I knew, full on celtic dreamboat.”

Sam snorts out a laugh.

Gabriel makes a mock offended face. “What? I could totally pull it off. Hello? Have you seen this face?”

Sam tries to keep a straight face but he can’t. He can’t help remembering when his brother compared Gabriel to a sugar addicted Leprechaun.

Gabriel sighs dramatically and rolls his eyes. Sam leans over and plants a gentle kiss on his furrowed brow before slipping out from between the sheets. He busies himself grabbing a towel and some fresh clothes. But when Gabriel remains silent, no wolf whistles or comments about joining him in the shower he frowns and turns back to check on him.

On the surface he just looks contemplative, but there’s something about the slouch of his shoulders, the way his lips are pursed. He looks sad. Deeply sad.

“Gabriel... Are you... Are you ok?”

Gabriel startles and blinks up at him. He smiles, but the smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Oh just. Good ol times and all that times. Sometimes I miss...”

His voice trails off. He shrugs a shoulder, looking away.

“Why don’t you invite him?” Sam hedges. 

Gabriel blinks up at him, uncertainty flickering in his golden eyes. “I... I don’t think he’d want to... Probably got better things to do. I’m sure Becks has all sorts of plans for them...”

_Christ_, Sam forgot about Becky. If Chuck comes along to their New Year gathering, chances are he’ll bring along his somewhat certifiable girlfriend. He winces internally. But... with everything that happened at the cabin... Gabriel could do with a friend. One close enough to still stick around through horrendous pranks. Because from what Sam heard, they almost sounded as close as he and Dean. And Gabriel needs that. Sam doesn’t know what caused the rift between them. Gabriel as always hasn’t exactly been forethcoming, but maybe it can be fixed.

“You won’t know unless you try...”

Gabriel looks up at him for a moment, lips parted, that uncertainty still present in his gaze, but then a small smile spreads across his features. He nods his head. Sam smiles back and gathers his things.

They both just about jump a mile in the air when his clock radio blares into sudden life.

_Gotta get back in time..._

Gabriel flings himself over and smacks the button so hard Sam’s clock radio goes flying off the nightstand and thuds to the floor with an ominous cracking sound. 

“Damn sneaky snooze buttons,” he mutters under his breath.

Sam just sighs and shakes his head. Looks like he’s going to have to buy a new clock radio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To save timeline confusion... I have figured out Gabriel's timeline on paper but I've always found it difficult to fit into the narrative. Gabriel went to College as a mature student. He spent a long time after school messing around. Going to Vegas, getting himself into lots of crazy situations, before finally returning home to start college at the age of 27. So yeah when he's saying tricks are for kids... he was in his late 20s... Yup. For those who haven't read the main fics, Gabriel is now 37 so this was some time ago.
> 
> And yes I know Chuck and Gabriel are totally channeling Rob Bennett and Richard Slate. I regret nothing.


	16. Day 24: Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This timestamp takes place right before Thanks for All the Memories and just after the Frozen Timestamp (with a little hanky panky inbetween). Can definitely be read as a standalone.
> 
> Gabriel gets 'ideas' just before they're due to leave for their New Years party. However... Things don't exactly go to plan. Will they make it to the party in time?

“Didn’t your Dad used to be a Dick?”

_What? Seriously?_ While that statement isn’t entirely off the mark, it’s hardly the thing to blurt out, completely out of the blue, in the middle of a rather awkward emergency.

Sam looks up from the drawer he’s desperately searching through and gives Gabriel an incredulous look. One of several he’s given him over the past 10 minutes, because _Christ_, how the hell did they get into this situation? Correction, _he_ had little to do with it. _He_ was ready to go. Then despite his earlier insistance that they had to hurry, despite the earlier frantic search for accessories, Gabriel got _ideas_. As he always does. 

Gabriel raises both eyebrows at him, like the question was completely valid and relevant.

Sam makes a face. He closes the drawer and opens another. He sighs at the random jumble of contents. Even if the item in question just so happened to have been thrown carelessly in here, the chances of him finding it aren’t exactly stellar. He shifts aside Gabriel’s nested phallic cookie cutters, a pair of scissors, basting brush. _What the fuck is that?_ Sam picks it up and stares at it. Has Gabriel really left one of his sex toys in a kitchen drawer? He can’t even figure this one out.

Gabriel makes an impatient huffing noise. _What?_ He was actually expecting an answer?

Sam sighs, “Yes... yes he could be. But... I don’t know, I guess he did the best he could after Mom died.” 

Sam shrugs his shoulders and holds up the mystery item. He’s not entirely sure he wants to know, but at the same time he’s kind of curious. “Uh what’s this?”

Gabriel is now giving _him_ an incredulous look. Or maybe it’s an _I can’t believe you can be so dim_ look. Sam lets out a small laugh. Really he has no right to look at Sam like that given that he’s stark naked with his hands cuffed behind his back... and he has no clue where he left the keys.

“Ok numero uno, it’s an egg separator Sam, what the hells did you think... you know what? I don’t actually want to know. Numero dos, much as that may be something you think I might do, which _thanks_ by the way. _Really_. Real confidence booster there Samshine. But no, I was not completely out of the blue insulting your dear departed Dad. I mean, come on. I might be an asshole Sam, but I’m not a giant dick!”

Sam just stares as Gabriel rants, face growing more red by the minute. He frowns and places the egg separator back in the drawer before circling around the counter. He places his hands on Gabriel’s tense shoulders and rubs soothing circles into his collar bones.

“You’re not an asshole Gabe.” Sam’s said it countless times, but he knows Gabriel will always have trouble believing it.

“Yeesh Sam, enough with the puppy dog eyes. We do not have time for you to look so adorable. I’ll just end up wanting you to fuck me again or suck you off again or both-”

Sam presses a quick kiss to Gabriel’s lips, cutting off the babble mid stream.

“Ok, that is not helping. Not helping at all,” Gabriel huffs out as he pulls back. 

Gabriel makes a face at him, a somewhat petulant pout, that does not look incredibly cute and hilarious at the same time, and starts pacing around the room. It doesn’t take long before he stumbles on something... his own tennis shoe, left haphazardly strewn on the floor as usual. Sam darts forward and grabs hold of his shoulders before he can face plant or knock himself out on the hard edge of the counter top.

Gabriel makes a frustrated noise. His shoulders tense. Sam has the feeling he desperately wants to gesture with the hands cuffed behind his back. He always talks with his hands as much as his mouth. No wonder he’s frustrated.

“Damn it Sam, we’re gonna be late. To our own party no less! It’s the turn of the decade. We need to get the hells out of here and get the party started. I got plans Sam. Plans! And I can’t do a goddamn thing with my hands behind my back. Your dad used to be a Dick...” He rolls his eyes as Sam furrows his brow at that. “For the love of... a gum shoe? A P.I.? Come on tell me I didn’t dream that one up in a post orgasmic haze? Can’t you pick the lock or something? Help me out Sam, because I’m done. I’m just done.”

Despite himself Sam snorts out a laugh. Ok that makes a lot more sense. Gabriel glares at him, so he quickly attempts to talk the corners of his mouth down from the smile they keep wanting to twist into.

“Uh no... I can’t actually... I mean, we helped Dad out from time to time, sure, but I was more doing the stake outs... Taking the pictures...”

Gabriel stares at him a minute, then he chuckles. “You were the pervy one? Skulking around, takin pictures of the client’s wife bumpin uglies with the neighbor. Oh Sam, why the hells have you never shared that little gem with me?”

Sam purses his lips and sends Gabriel a bitchface. That. That is exactly why he never told Gabriel. That dirty leer that’s taken up residence on his face right now.

“Christ Gabriel, it wasn’t like that.” Sam sighs. “Look... I don’t know how to pick locks, but my brother... Well let’s say he very much got involved in that side of the family business.”

Gabriel’s face lights up. Shit. Wait. 

“Uh... Only... I think Dean and Cas are already there.” 

Sam bites his lip. He’s at a bit of a loss as to what to do. It’s clear he isn’t going to be able to find the keys without turning the place upside down. There’s no safety latch... Which completely confuses Sam. If these cuffs are a sex toy then surely there should be... They’re not a sex toy. _Christ_. How the hell did Gabriel get hold of a genuine pair of goddamn restraint cuffs? He’s not entirely sure he wants to know the answer to that question...

Gabriel makes a considering face, then he shrugs his shoulders. “Ok. We’ll just do it there.” 

He makes a beeline towards his bedroom. Sam just stares after him. But...

Gabriel halts, looks back over his shoulder and gives Sam another incredulous look. “Come on Sam. No time to dawdle. Time’s a wasting. Much as I wouldn’t mind turning up like this, I’m pretty sure the friends and fam won’t exactly share that sentiment.”

Right. Sam laughs, shakes his head and follows.

~~~

“For the love of...” Gabriel huffs out a breath and rolls his eyes. “Just... pull the damn things up when I lift my hips... It’s not rocket science Sam.”

Sam clenches his jaw. This would have been far easier standing up, he’s sure of it, especially since Sam had to shift a tonne of crap before Gabriel could even lie down. But of course Gabriel had his own ideas and there was little point in arguing.

As Gabriel thrusts his hips upwards, Sam swallows around the sudden lump in his throat. Tries his very best not to be distracted by the dick that’s mere inches from his face and pulls Gabriel’s jeans the rest of the way up his hips. They catch momentarily on the curves of his ass and Sam has to try very hard not to be distracted to _that_. But finally they’re in place.

Gabriel settles back down. Sam stares for a moment at his open fly, lips parting.

There’s another impatient huffing noise. Sam glances up to see Gabriel craning his neck, eyebrows raised. 

“I know you’re enjoying the pube side view Sam, but I can’t exactly go with my dick hanging out can I?”

Sam heaves out a sigh of his own and scrubs a hand over his face before reaching for the first button. He takes his time despite Gabriel’s continued huffing impatience. This would really be a whole lot easier if Gabriel wore underwear. Sam’s kind of paranoid about trapping the somewhat wild pubic hair in the fastenings. Finally he has all but the top button done up. He pulls the fabric together and... _ah_. Just how many candies did Gabriel consume over Christmas? Not counting the box of chocolates that were intended for Ellen, that Sam caught him devouring this morning... It would appear... rather a lot. Well at least Sam doesn’t have to worry about the pre-Christmas stress induced weight loss anymore. Gabriel has clearly made up for it. How does he put this delicately?

There’s an odd muffled noise. It takes a moment for Sam to figure out that Gabriel just clicked the fingers of the hand that’s squashed beneath him.

“You’re killing me here Sam-a-lam. Quit perving and get a move along. Seriously, I know you and my pubes are having a torrid love affair, but can we shelf the hanky with a side of panky, pick this one up later? Come on! We’re gonna be late.”

Sam sighs and bites his lip. “Uh Gabe...” He coughs awkwardly. “Can you um... breathe in... I’m uh... having a little trouble with the top button.”

“What?!” Gabriel’s head comes up off the bed again. He cranes his neck, glares at his own midrift. “Seriously? Come on! I wore those a week ago, they were practically hanging off me.”

Sam expects that might be a bit of an exaggeration but... well they certainly aren’t now.

“Um... Well... everyone puts a little on at Christmas... You did maybe eat rather a lot of-”

“Do not finish that sentence Sam. Yeesh. So I had a few candies. Hardly any really. How the... They must have shrunk...”

Despite himself Sam snorts out a small laugh. Gabriel glares at him.

“A few?” Sam raises an eyebrow. 

Gabriel rolls his eyes and flops back on the bed. “Shut up.” He lets out a dramatic sigh. “Ok fine... Yeesh Sam, we can’t all have rock hard abs and perfect sexy hips and-”

“Shhh, it’s ok.” Sam leans forward and presses a kiss to Gabriel’s belly. 

Gabriel sighs again. “Sam...”

Sam captures Gabriel’s eyes, reaches out to smooth a thumb over his cheek bone. “You’re gorgeous Gabe. Never anything short of gorgeous.”

Gabriel gives him a small shy smile. Sam leans over and presses a kiss to his lips.

“Do you want me to try and fasten these, or shall we try another pair?”

Gabriel sighs and lifts his hips. Sam sighs too. They really are going to be late.

~~~

They both stare at the shirt. Then at each other. That’s really not going to work. Sam lets out a sigh and runs his hands back through his hair. _Shit_. What are they going to do? Gabriel can’t exactly go shirtless, but it’s not like he can get his arms in the sleeves. Maybe one of Sam’s sweaters would have fitted over him, but since they merely came here to pack a few ‘essentials’ for the party, Sam didn’t bring any spare clothes.

There’s a snapping noise. Sam glances up to see a wide dimpled smile spread across Gabriel’s face.

~~~

Sam bites his lip and tries his very best not to laugh. Gabriel raises his eyebrows. Sam makes a snorting noise. _Ah shit_. He really can’t keep it in. 

“Do you want... do you want me to find a Sombrero to go with that?” 

Gabriel’s expression only makes Sam laugh harder. He can’t help it. _Christ_. The garish poncho. Gabriel’s dancing eyebrows. This whole situation. 

Gabriel rolls his eyes. “We don’t really have time for this Eeyore. Come on. Grab the bags, we gotta bounce.”

Sam snorts out one more laugh, shakes his head and gingerly makes his way towards the doorway. This place is like a bomb site. Christ. He halts. Frowns. What the hell did he just stand on? He lifts his foot, his eyes widening as he takes in the small silver key lying innocuously beside the discarded too-small jeans. Sam sighs. _Really?_ He bends over to pick it up.

“Yeesh Sam. Now is really not the time for the calisthenics. Your bod is all sorts of hot perfection anyways. If we don’t get there soon, you’re gonna loose a shoe and I’m gonna turn into a pumpkin- Oh.”

Sam raises his eyebrows.

Gabriel winces.

“Ah... I may have... Forgotten I put them in there. Uh... My bad.”

Sam takes one more look at Gabriel’s flushed face, almost the same color as the garish poncho, the sheepish expression... and he looses it completely. After a beat and an enormous put upon sigh, Gabriel joins him.


	17. Day 25: Presents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This timestamp straggles two times, one during What Would Klimt Do, when Gabriel's in San Fransisco with his family, the other on New year's Day.Can be read as a standalone.

Gabriel lets out a slow breath and brushes his fingertip over the supple leather. The thought of this glorious chestnut brown color against Sam’s gorgeous tanned skin... Hmm yeah. And this... He thinks the black would suit him.

“We’ve got more... _specialist_ items out back... if you’re interested?” The heavily tattoo’d and pierced girl behind the till says. 

Yeesh, what is it about his face that says ‘hardcore, all I wear at weekends and holidays is a gimp mask’? He sighs internally, resists the urge to roll his eyes. So he likes sex, so he likes a dick in his ass, doesn’t mean he wants to spend all his spare time in a cage being whipped. Not his idea of a good time. At all.

“Ah no... um thanks...” but no thanks. He makes a face, catches it at the last second and turns it into a smile. Ok that was weird, she probably thinks he’s got some sort of facial tick. “Actually, I was thinking something more... classic.”

As soon as he says it, he realises they could still be in the fantasy fetish department... But thankfully she seems to catch his drift, or rather the way he’s not so subtly stroking the leather cuffs on display.

She circles around the counter and slouches over to him. Oh so casual. Half sullen, just out of teens.. actually maybe mid twenties, but with a side helping of kinky minx. 

“We can do those with custom designs you know.” She bites her lip and leans against the display, leather clad hips thrust vaguely in his direction. 

Gabriel blinks. She’s hot. She’s smokin hot. Maybe a little on the young side, but probably just narrowly within his self imposed age bracket. Clearly interested in him. And yet. He doesn’t have the urge to flirt. At all. In fact he has the urge to mention his boyfriend... Yikes, he really has lost it. Except... Remarkably it doesn’t feel like a bad thing. Not a loss or a missed opportunity. He loves Sam. Sam’s all he wants or needs. Sure he can see this gal’s attractive, but nothing compaired to Sam. He has no desire to act on it. Have a little harmless flirt. While he’s never been one to stray, not feeling the desire to really flirt... that’s kind of a new one on him.

He purses his lips in thought, runs his eyes over the leather. Custom huh? He could make these into something more meaningful. He thinks about Sam wearing this about his wrist, Gabriel’s name writ across it... in large neon letters. No. Yikes no. Sam would run a mile. Much too... much too early. He’s not _proposing_. His heart attempts to take a flying leap out of his chest at the very thought of that word... But it’s too early, much too early to be thinking that way. They’ve been dating for less than a month. Sam may have confessed his love, blurted it out in a half hysterical post orgasmic delirium, but... there’s love and then there’s _forever._

Forever... that word should freak the hell out of him... but it doesn’t... at all. 

Sam though... He’s been through a lot. He can’t possibly be ready for that. Maybe he won’t ever be... At least not with Gabriel.

Still... he wants to make a gesture... something personal... not hokey... but specific to them.

He lifts the chestnut and black cuffs from the display and turns to face the girl. She takes a moment to look over the items in his hands.

“Both?”

He knows what she wants him to say, but hells, sorry Kiddo... “Yeah, want to suprise my Samshine. How long would it take to uh... jazz these up? Nothin fancy, just... initials on this,” he waves the black cuff in her direction, “and maybe a simple symbol on this.” He wiggles the chestnut one this time.

She looks disappointed for a moment, but then she smiles a genuine smile. “Depends on the design, but I don’t have a backlog, if it’s not too intricate, later today, maybe tomorrow.... Samshine?”

He quirks his lips upwards, nods, hands her the cuffs and fishes in his pocket for his cellphone. Ok maybe not that one. Hoo boy, definitely not that. He flicks further back, smiles down at the image. Their first date. Sam looks all sorts of dorky, but hot as hell too. Attempting to keep his grin from going too smug, he turns the phone around and shows her the picture.

She whistles, raises her eyebrows and stares at the image. Ok so maybe he looks a little smug. He’s got a goddamn heart stoppingly hot boyfriend, he’s entitled. 

“His name’s Sam but...” He trails off, points to the image with an index finger and raises his eyebrows.

“Yeah I get you.” 

She bites her lip as she looks at the picture. Gabriel wonders vaguely if she’s imagining them together. The thought shouldn’t excite him, but weirdly it does. They’re hot together and this lady clearly knows it.

“You sure you don’t want to double up? Maybe add a little detatchable chain? Or hey x4’s a popular option.”

Is she leering at him? Yeesh. While the thought of Sam all bound up and gagged... No actually maybe him?... Or Sam. He can’t actually decide... Hells, this is not what he’s here for. He shakes his head to clear it, draws in a breath through his nostrils.

“Uh no. Kind of a romantic thing... Not you know...” He breaks off and makes illustrative hand gestures. Yikes, she’s actually looking a little insulted. “Not that... Not that I’m saying sex swings, strap ons and thigh bonds aren’t romantic... per se but...”

Her loud barking laugh cuts off his babble. “No worries. It’s not for everyone. Sorry, shouldn’t have assumed.”

Gabriel frowns. While he’s not into the heavy hardcore stuff he’s hardly a prude. He knows how to have a good time. Hells does he. He straightens his spine, holds his head up, lets a filthy smirk spread across his features, wiggles his brows. “I guess I could take a look out back. While I’m here.”

~~~

1 MONTH LATER

Why in the hells did he let himself be talked into this? Damn sneaky sales girl. He’s sure it must have been her devious plan all along. Appeal to his sense of sexual pride. Couldn’t go having anyone think he was anything short of a spectacular lay. _Fuck_. He takes in a ragged breath and twists his arm. Oh now that one’s trapped completely. Can’t even move an inch. Damn it. She made it look all easy. Effortlessy festooned him, strapped him up... over his shirt thank you... told him how pretty he’d look for his hot boyfriend. And fuck, but Gabriel was so taken in by it. 

Just the thought of Sam’s eyes roaming over his body. _Just think how beautiful those nipples will look_. Yikes she did not stop with the full on flirty lip service. Completely lost it over his perky nipples. Gabriel almost came away with the full on nip tease/torture kit... But honestly... far too sensitive for any of that.

He should be able to do this. He’s a former porn star for Christ’s sakes! But... well they always had someone do all that for him. He never put this sort of thing on himself... And all that was a loooooong time ago.

He tentatively moves the other arm. Ow! No no no, totally diggin into his armpit. And where the fuck is that loop supposed to go? Was that not supposed to go over his thigh? Or circle his crotch? He doesn’t have a clue... Maybe he should have tried this on before now... say right after San Fran when it was fresh in his memory... but he was saving it for a special occassion and surely first fuck of the decade is just such an occassion. Look all pretty for his Samshine, black leather setting off his pale skin. Only his skin’s not fucking pale now is it? It’s beetroot red and he’s covered in sweat and he’s all sorts of gross and a tangled mess of limbs and hair. Crap, hair in his eyes. He tilts his head to the side... shakes it, nope, glued there with sweat. Great! That’s just goddamn great. _Fuck_.

“Are you ok in there?” 

Sam sounds halfway amused, halfway concerned... oh and a smidge impatient. 

Damn it this is not how he wanted this to go. He clenches his jaw. Closes his eyes. Deep breath. Ok.

“Uh just a minute Samsquatch. Almost... almost ready.”

He almost laughs. Hells. He wriggles his body this way, that way. Nothing is coming loose, if anything he’s getting more and more tangled and he’s flopping around like a damn fish out of water. Super sexy. He bites the inside of his mouth, resists the urge to scream. Fuck. Fuckity. Fuck. Fuck.

_Oh! Oh shit fuck shit! OW!_

Ow ow ow. Goddamn it. He stares up at the ceiling from his new vantage point, sprawled across Sam’s bedroom floor, curses that goddamn leather clad goddess... or rather the bringer of all sorts of torture and pain and... oh great. That’s just... 

“Gabe?”

Sam’s crouching down, puppy dog eyes at full blast as he checks Gabriel for injuries. Not hurt Sam-a-lam. _No injuries, except maybe to my butt and the gaping wound in my pride._ No biggie. Gabriel thunks his head back on the floor. Ow. That hurt too. He closes his eyes. Worst start to the year ever. And he’s counting the time Luke decided it would be funny to dangle all his underwear out of the window. Never wore a stitch after that. Actually it was freeing, maybe he should thank his big bro after all...

“What’s... Gabe what exactly were you...” Sam’s voice trails off, like he can’t even parse a sentence let alone begin to fathom what Gabriel was trying to achieve.

Gabriel sighs. “Just... just help me out here Kiddo?”

Gabriel doesn’t have to open his eyes to see the smile on Sam’s face, he can hear it in the cadence of his voice as he gives his reassurances. And suddenly it doesn’t feel so bad, not so bad at all. When he feels Sam’s big hands on his skin, then it feels all sorts of ok...

~~~

Gabriel sighs happily and pillows his head on Sam’s chest. It’s one of his favorite things to do. Just listening to the beat of Sam’s heart. Especially at times like these. They’ll have to get up soon, clean up the sticky mess between them, but right now... right now Gabriel’s just content to lie here, listening as Sam’s rapidly thudding heartbeat starts to calm, Sam’s fingertips tracing absent patterns across his skin. Sometimes Gabriel wonders what he’s drawing. There’s a rhythm to it. Is it an imagined scene? A beautiful abstraction? Maybe there’s some materpiece waiting in those fingertips. Maybe one day he’ll insist Sam uses the body paints Gabriel gave him for Christmas again, no brush needed like the last time, just those clever fingertips, smoothing patterns into his flesh...

His own hands roam, over to the arm curving against his side. He runs his fingers over warm tanned skin, all the way up to the wrist. He can’t quite see, the angle’s too awkward, but he can feel. He finds the underside, just above Sam’s pulse point, fingertips tracing over the symbol embossed on the leather there. The horn of Gabriel. Not his name and yet it is. Sam wearing his name... a symbol of it... He wears this most of the time. Gabriel hardly ever sees him without it. And that... That’s so much more than he could have hoped for...

So the weird strappy torture device in disguise as fetish wear may have been a spectacularly bad idea. But these... These were a good idea... a great idea. Maybe one of the best he’s ever had. Because there’s something about them that speaks of forever. And the fact that Sam doesn’t mind that... that he seems to embrace the idea? That’s everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it folks. Merry Christmas/Festive greetings to each and every one of you. Thanks so much for reading. Don't forget to request a ficlet if you should wish. Just send me a prompt. From this verse, but it's pretty wide open. I'll let you know if I need to tweak for the verse canon. Thanks so much for all the kudos and lovely comments along the way. Feel free to explore the verse if you wish. Lots more Gabriel antics to be had of course. Sexy times. Craziness. The usual. In any case, catch you all another time xxx


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